Bear - Antler Sitting by Claudia Peina (Zuni)

Claudia Peina’s hand carved antler bear sitting with inlaid turquoise, coral, and jet, is polished to a fine sheen. This piece not only illustrates the artist’s talents, but also her sense of humor.

Fetish carvings are made in numerous styles and materials and are representative of a vast array of animals and figures since artists and carvers have become more creative and varied. Carving fetishes has developed into one of the most collectible art forms of the Zuni Tribe today. Fetishes are still made and used in homes, for special purposes and religious ceremony. They originally came from the belief that when a stone resembled a certain animal, the power of that animal resided in the stone. Sometimes after finding such a stone, carving a bit of the stone to bring out more of the animal resemblance was done.

Height: 7/8”; Width: 1”; Length: 2”