Carving, turtle
Date: 1995
Artist or Maker: E.
Dimensions:
5.3 × 4.3 × 2.8 cm (2 1/16 × 1 11/16 × 1 1/8 in.)
Medium: stone, black marble | turquoise
Credit Line: Bequest of Estelle Rebec; received at the Indian Arts Research Center in 2006.
Place Made:
Zuni Pueblo, McKinley County, New Mexico, Southwest, United States, North America
Object Number: SAR.2007-1-76
Not on view
Tribal Collection Review RemarksJim Enote and Octavius Seowtewa during collection review visit February 16 and 17, 2011 (Events Record “Collection Review: Zuni Tribe, Review 6”): The materials used in this carving are black marble and turquoise. The left front foot is decorated with a step cloud with rain hatching. The left rear foot has rounded cloud symbols with rain coming from the bottom of the clouds. The right front foot has rounded cloud symbols with rain hatching. The right rear foot has a step cloud with rain. The turtle’s back is decorated with pottery-inspired designs that include rain bird heads with crests and combined step cloud/feather symbols. The piece is signed “E Zuni // 95” on the bottom. The artist’s name might be E. Zuni (E being the first initial of the name), or “Zuni” might instead refer to the Zuni pueblo. The Zuni word for turtle is edo:wa.
Though small carvings such as this, usually depicting an animal, are frequently referred to as “fetishes,” it is important to note that they are not true fetishes. True fetishes are made and used specifically for spiritual or ceremonial purposes and uses. This type of item, however, is made specifically for sale. It is more appropriate to refer to commercially-made figures of this type as “carvings.”
Carvings produced for commercial purposes depict a wide variety of animals, but there are only six animal depictions that can become true fetishes. They are animals that are associated with the six directions, which are each associated with a particular color. The six animals should be carved from a stone that is the color of the associated direction. The six animals and their corresponding directions/colors are: Mountain Lion-North-Yellow; Bear-West-Blue; Badger-South-Red; Wolf-East-White; Eagle-Sky (Up)-Multi-color; Mole or Shrew-Underworld (Below)-Black. Any of these six animal carvings can become a true fetish, IF it is given a spiritual life by certain Zuni religious leaders. These fetishes would be used by Zuni people for protection, and by Zuni hunters, depending on which animal is chosen for the fetish, for assistance in the hunt.
In Collection(s)
The Indian Arts Research Center, in collaboration with Native American community scholars, strives to present accurate collections records. Records may be updated as new information becomes available and is reviewed with the Native American community having cultural affinity to particular items. Please write to iarc@sarsf.org if you have questions or concerns related to the documentation.