Native American Zuni Bear Fetish Carving

What is a Fetish? A fetish is a rock carving of an animal that captures the spirit and the essence of the animal, not necessarily its exact detailed conformation. A fetish represents relationship and unity. Read more about fetishes.

Bear is considered the most powerful of all of the animals and is one of the most popular subjects of fetish carvers. Bear is a spiritual guide and represents strength and self-knowledge. He also has supernatural powers, great healing powers. Bear is a symbol deliberate action, introspection, soul and insight for the past and the future. The Bear is the guardian of the West an is one of the animals of the Six Directions.

Medicine Bundle. Many fetishes have a medicine bundle, offering bundle, or adornment tied on the back of the animal that can consists of coral seed beads, shell heishi, feathers and other stone pieces. These may be used as an offering to the fetish, to evoke the spirit of the fetish or to increase the strength of a fetish.

Onyx Marble (also called Mexican Onyx and Oriental Alabaster) is a type of calcite, which is one of the most common minerals present in the earth's crust. Onyx Marble is basically a banded variety of marble resembling onyx. It is somewhat translucent and banded colors include shades of yellow, pink, red, gray, and green. Calcite alabaster is often found as stalagmites deposited on the floor and walls of limestone caves. Its formation in successive layers gives the banded appearance that this marble often shows on cross-section. Onyx marble is quarried, among other places, in Mexico, California, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and Virginia.
Read more about stones.