Zuni Fetishes

Loren Tsalabutie apatite tumbling bear fetish, 3-3/4” high by 4” long by 1-7/8” wide, SOLD. Beautiful deep color apatite contrasts nicely with coral eyes and necklace. One of Loren’s most exuberant carvings.

Sherdine Tsattie rose quartz badger fetish, 1” high by 1-3/4” long by 1-1/8” wide, SOLD. Offering arrowhead is purple Mojave turquoise.

Andres Quandelacy (d) textured dark green serpentine buffalo fetish, 1-1/4” high by 2-1/4” long by 5/8” wide, SOLD. Very early carving by Andres with nicely carved turquoise horns.

Lena Boone (d) amber glass fox fetish, 1” high by 3” long by 3/4” wide, SOLD. Lena was among the first to carve glass; she loved carving new materials.

Aaron and Thelma Sheche (both d) Salt River serpentine wildcat fetish c. 1990s, 1-1/4” high by 2-1/2” long by 1” wide, SOLD. Wildcat replaces badger as the south directional in the hunting set. Signed in the stone ATS, a rarity.

Ricky Laahty Bisbee turquoise frog fetish, 1” high by 3/4” long by 3/8” wide, SOLD. This gorgeous piece of Bisbee has a natural worry-stone shape and feel. Ricky carved a bush baby on the underside. From Morris’s unworked stones.

Gibbs Othole Picasso marble wolf fetish (ex-Museum exhibit), 2” high by 3-1/4” long by 1” wide, SOLD. A very alert expression in those compound inlaid eyes—this guy is hunting.

Loren Tsalabutie sodalite sea turtle fetish, 1-1/8” high by 2-1/2” wide by 2-1/8” long, $300. A hefty guy with beautiful white patterns in the dark blue sodalite.

Sherdine Tsattie large Picasso marble mountain lion fetish, 1-3/4” high by 4” long by 1-1/4” wide, SOLD. The lion is in stalking pose with her full tail curved into a curl at the tip. Anyone with a cat will recognize the pose. Sherdine is Loren Tsalabutie’s mother. She rarely carves.

Lena Boone (d) turquoise mole fetish, 3/4” high by 2” long by 1” wide, SOLD. Lena always made carved slits for her moles’ eyes, a nice distinctive signature touch.

Herbert Halate jet frog fetish, 3/4” high by 1-1/2” long by 1-1/2” wide, SOLD. Inlaid turquoise eyes and turquoise rain drops on his back.

Sherdine Tsattie travertine onyx large standing bear fetish, 4-1/2” high by 2-3/4” long by 1-3/4” wide, SOLD. The largest piece Sherdine has carved for us, and the first to wear a necklace as the carvings of her son Loren Tsalabutie often do.

Gibbs Othole variscite fox fetish (ex-Museum exhibit), 1-3/4” high by 2-7/8” long by 7/8” wide, SOLD. A richly colored piece of natural variscite with Gibbs’s distinctively carved arrowhead of black-lip mother-of-pearl, and the subtle life-like animation that only Gibbs can impart.

Francis Leekya (d) Zuni stone travertine bear fetish, 1-1/4” high by 2-1/4” long by 1” wide, $600. Circa early 2000 before his stroke, this bear has carved paw marks and an offering of black abalone Leekya leaf with turquoise and coral.

Loren Tsalabutie yellow calcite owl fetish, 2” high by 1-1/2” long by 1-1/2” wide, $330. Looking backward with his inlaid turquoise eyes.

Ricky Laahty Royston turquoise badger with red abalone frog passenger (tied on in the traditional manner, not glued), 1/2” high by
1-1/8” long by 3/4” wide, SOLD. There is the tiniest full-body frog carved on the underside. Ricky rarely gives his carvings bundles.

Aaron and Thelma Sheche (both d) Salt River serpentine coyote fetish, 1-1/4” high by 3-3/4” long by 1/2” wide, SOLD. Carved pink mussel shell arrowhead offering with turquoise and coral. A classic.

Sherdine Tsattie turquoise bear fetish, 1” high by 1-3/4” long by 3/4” wide, SOLD. Blue bear of the west.

Barlow Quandelacy (d) jet bear fetish, 1-1/2” high by 2-1/4” long by 5/8” wide, SOLD. Barlow never signed his carvings and he passed at a young age so not much of his work is known.  He was the first to carve the seated howling coyote; those are the pieces most often attributed (and misattributed) to him. This wonderful bear with inlaid heart line and ‘70s wrap was identified by a Zuni carver who knew Barlow personally. 

Andres Quandelacy (d) multi-stone multi-animal fetish necklace, 27” long to bottom center mountain lion, $3000.  Stones include mother-of-pearl, spiny oyster shell, turquoise, malachite, amber, and jet. Center mountain lion (1” high by 1-3/4” long) is mother-of-pearl with inlaid coral heart line. Buffalo carvings have inlaid carved coral horns. Strung on old coral beads interspersed with small glass trade beads. Finished with handmade silver cones and silver “A Quandelacy” name tag. A stunning statement fetish necklace.

Jimmie Etsate (d) Picasso marble reindeer and raven double clan fetish, 1-1/2” high by 2-1/4” long by 5/8” wide, SOLD. Jimmie used to carve wonderful reindeer for Christmas, all with these extraordinary silver horns. 

Felino Eriacho large cottonwood root Zuni Shalako katsina doll, 23” high by 7” long by 6” wide, SOLD. Felino was a renowned katsina carver before he began carving fetishes for sale. This large katsina won second place at Santa Fe Indian Market in 1985. 'Tis the season—Shalako is this weekend. Ribbon will accompany purchase.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays, everyone!

Please call 505-243-0414 or email [email protected], 
or visit us in Old Town Albuquerque to place your order. 
A portion of all sales by Grey Dog Trading go directly to The Zuni Fetish Museum.