Zuni Fetishes in Turquoise, 6 Miniatures, Signed Chavez (EChavez) Vintage 1999.

Description

Zuni Fetishes, Turquoise, 6 Miniatures, Signed Chavez (Some Signed EChavez 1999) Vintage
Offered here are six Zuni miniature Turquoise fetishes, signed Chavez or EChavez. Additionally, some bear the inscription “Zuni” and/or “99”. We believe the spirits represented by these fetishes to be Badger, Bear, Beaver, Bison, Horned Toad, as well as a Tablita Maiden. They are carved in detail and show a nice high polish.
Badger — Badger represents persistence; he will never give up until reaching his goal. Badger dominates activities of agriculture with his knowledge of husbandry and the earth.
Bear — Bear represents strength, courage, power, healing, and protection. Bear also represents spiritual communion. The bear of this listing has a metal ring that allows it to be worn as a pendant.
Beaver — Beaver represents unity of home and family. Beaver is revered for and associated with water.
Bison — Bison, referred to as Buffalo by some, represents courage and endurance.
Horned Toad — Horned Toad personifies self-reliance, which seems to show in the broad smile on its face!
Tablita Maiden — Corn Maidens personify the bounty of life, assuring the Zuni of bountiful harvests by bringing food offerings to the Pueblo in the Spring. Corn Maiden is the very symbol of life. Tablita Maidens wear a headdress worn by Pueblo women in ceremonial dances.
Dimensions are shown on the brass caliper or purple ruler, and the scale is shown as photographed beside a US penny. These fetishes can be an excellent start of your collection of Zuni fetishes, or be a substantial addition to your already impressive collection.
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Zuni fetishes are animal carvings that have been integral to the Zuni culture for thousands of years. The animal a fetish depicts represents that animal’s “special medicine”. A fetish is the physical embodiment of a living spirit and believed to have a spirit as if it were alive. A person must mindful and respect the spirit of the animal that the fetish signifies. The Zuni feel that it is the spirit within the fetish that is of value, not the object itself. The Zunis regard ceremonial fetishes in carefully directed manners; the fetish must be nurtured in ways that include offerings of cornmeal. It is believed that the care a fetish receives is proportional to the protection it provides.
None of the strict Zuni guidelines apply to non-ceremonial fetishes as we offer here. Fetishes widely available for sale today are non-ceremonial, as they have not been blessed by a medicine man. These fetishes are nothing more than carvings, and are sold as contemporary Native American art.
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PAYMENT AND SHIPMENT
We ship by USPS First Class which includes tracking and full insurance.
RETURNS
We recognize that opal and other items are a very personal and emotional purchase. If you feel your item is not as represented please contact us to discuss any issues you may have. If it is agreed the opal will be returned for refund, you may return it in its’ original condition in protective packaging within 14 days of receipt. Refund to the buyer will amount to the purchase price minus all eBay fees and the cost of outbound and return shipping.
FEEDBACK
Positive Feedback from a satisfied buyer is very important to us. If you are displeased with any aspect of our transaction, please message us so that we may rectify any problem and eliminate the need for negative feedback. We appreciate your business and thank you for trusting Outback Oz Opal.
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OUTBACK OZ OPAL
Outback Oz Opal began in 1998 as a two-Geologist family unit in the middle of the main street in Coober Pedy, South Australia. Here we bought from a gem cutter some finished opal stones and rough opal to cut and sell in the US. Subsequent opal purchases of rough and finished stones were made at the Tucson, AZ Gem and Mineral Show where we developed some valuable friendships with Australian miner-cutter vendors. We learned so much about grading and cutting from them. Eventually we were able to purchase the bulk of our opal off the kitchen table at our Flagstaff home from miner-cutter dealers who routed through on the gem show circuit (Albuquerque, Durango, Denver, Las Vegas, etc). Ultimately one miner stored hundreds of pounds of his rough in a SeaLand shipping container on our property to avoid the expense of returning with unsold goods to Australia.
For several years we sold opal under the name Outback Oz Opal in Flagstaff, AZ. We sold on eBay and locally to Native American artists on the nearby Reservation. Additionally we travelled each month to Zuni Pueblo in New Mexico where we sold from the back of our pickup truck parked “under the tree”. What a dream hobby for two Geologists!
But, as is always the case, life happened — a great job opportunity for the Dad in another state and Military service for the Grandson, who had grown up in the business and cut his first opal fetish when he was in Kindergarten.
Now we’re back, as OznAzOpal on eBay, and as Outback Oz Opal on other internet commerce platform. We thank you for your business and appreciate that you have placed your trust in us.
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