Bear Zuni Native American Indian Soapstone Fetish

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SKU: 215390

40% Sale Price: $22.80

Regular Price: $38.00

Retail Price: $58.00

Total Savings $35.20

Currently out of stock.

Description

This is a Soapstone handcrafted Zuni Bear with gift Fetish signed by the artist and dated 6-21-04.

The Bear fetish is the Guardian of the West and has the power to heal and transform human passions into true wisdom. Zuni believe that Bear is invaluable whenever one is faced with change and transition and that it can be an ally when attempting to resolve conflict, forgive oneself or others for errors of the past.

Zuni fetishes are hand-carved objects, which represent the spirits of animals or the forces of nature. From the earliest times in North America, the Indians have used fetishes in an effort to master the arbitrary and unpredictable forces beyond their control. The earliest fetishes are called Ahlashiwe or stone ancients by the Zunis. They were naturally formed stones that seemed to resemble people or animals, soometimes made more realistic with the features accentuated by a carver.

Fetishes may be used in many ways, either by the individual or by the whole tribe: for good luck in the hunt, initiation into a society, the diagnosis or curing of illness, fertility and propagation purposes, and/or for personal protection.

Zunis believe that animals, as well as inanimate objects and the forces of nature, have a spirit force, which can either help or hurt man. It is believed that the carved animal fetishes host that spiritual force and, if treated properly, will help their owners to overcome the problems facing them.

Fetishes are carved by most Native American tribes to ceremonially capture the spirit of the animal they represent.

Ceremonial fetishes are often tied with offerings of stones, shell, or feathers and are "fed" with corn pollen or other foods as an offering to the spirit of the fetish. The Zuni and other Pueblo tribes keep their fetishes in jars inside of their kivas, bringing them out only for certain ceremonies. The Zuni also carve animal figures and fetishes for art. These carvings are never meant for ceremony, yet certain taboos and restrictions are still observed in their creation.

The Bear fetish measures approximately 2 ½ inches long by 1 ½ inch tall and weighs 1.945 oz or 55.2g in gram weight.