Zuni Festivals and Fetishes - You're invited

Zuni is one of our favorite pueblos. The setting is serene and the people cheerfully share their culture with respectful visitors.

In recent years, Zuni Pueblo has hosted an event called Zuni Main Street Fest.

It is a splendid reason to visit the pueblo. While out-of-the-way, Zuni Pueblo is not hard to find and is easy to enter.

In addition to attractions like the dances, a major attraction is the number of shops and stores that show and sell Zuni fetish carvings. There must be thousands of people collect these carvings that represent some of Zuni finest art.

Of course, if you can't make the trip to Zuni for some reason, you can shop for authentic Zuni fetishes online. One of the most experienced and reliable dealers in Zuni fetishes is ZuniLink.com. The site has hundreds of Zuni fetish carvings and video interviews with the an assortment of carvers such as Brian Yatsattie, Dee Edaakie, Robert Michael Weahkie, Burt Awelagte and more.

Visit ZuniLink to learn more about Zuni fetishes and their carvers. As they say in Zuni, "Elahkwa"

Zuni Fetishes and Festivals ~ You are invited

Zuni is one of our favorite Indian pueblos. The setting is serene and the people cheerfully share their culture with respectful visitors.

A recently inaugurated event at Zuni has been the Main Street Festival. Here an example of the dancing that took place at the 2016 event. 
This is an excellent reason to visit the pueblo. Fortunately, while off the beaten path, it is not difficult to find and get to.

Another reason is to acquire Zuni fetish carvings. There are a handful of commercial fetish dealers within in the fetish grounds. But, in the age of the internet you don't have to visit the pueblo, pleasant and enticing as it is, to start or add to your Zuni fetish collection. 

One of the most experienced and reliable dealers in Zuni fetishes is online at ZuniLink.com. The site includes hundreds of Zuni and other Native fetishes, including bears, eagles, mountain lions, badgers and more, carved by the likes of Lena Boone, Dee Edaakie, the Quams, the Quandelacys, Bryan Yatsattie, Melvin Sandoval, Salvador Romero (Cochiti) and more.

Recognizing that judging a fetish by a photograph alone can be problematic, ZuniLink provides a satisfaction guarantee so you can return any purchase you are unhappy with when you receive it and have your purchase price refunded.

Plan to visit Zuni Pueblo and ZuniLink. As they say at Zuni, "Elahkwa".

What is a Zuni Six Direction Set?

Native American Fetish carving is a pains-taking, dirty, difficult and demanding activity, often taken for granted by the excellence of the outcome.

From the detail of carvers such as Brian Yatsattie and Wilfred Cheama to the abstraction of Melvin Sandoval and Lynn Quam to the natural inspiration of Salvador Romero and Wilson Romero, there is much to love and be awed by.

In the pantheon of fetish carvers, a special place is held by those who carve Six Direction sets 

Award Winning six directions carving in onyx by Jeff Shetima

These Six Directions sets capture the spirit of ancient Zuni belief of six creatures that were charged by the Creator with protection of the Zuni people from threats from the North, West, East, South, above and below.

The mountain lion in the North, the bear in the West, the badger in the south, the wolf in the East., the eagle above and the mole below. Each as selected for the innate power, strength and cunning as percieved by the Zuni people.

They mayu be presented by a carver in several ways. Some carvers chooseto presnet all six in a single carving (with the mole occasionally included as a seperate carvind lodge in the underside to the stone specimen.). Another format uses a single large creature with five smaller creatures secured to the larger carving with sinew or wax string. A third approach is to carve each protective animal as a single creature and gather the six as a set.

Each carver has a different artistic vision reflected in a different stylistic approach. Perhaps it is the seriousness of the subject matter but a six direction set seems never to be taken on as anything but the highest calling of the carver.

Collectors of Six Direction sets like to build menageries that show a breadth of approachees. Examples of the best are available for previewing at https://www.zunilink.com/zuni-six-directions-at-zunilink. 

In the interest of broadening awareness and the appeal of Six Direction carvings, the website is offering a special sale price of 30% off the regular listed price through July, 2016,.

World-renowned religious symbol takes on a stunning change of meaning.

In Ancient Roman times, the “cross” was associated with shame and public ridicule. Common criminals were crucified as a form of punishment. But then, with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his resurrection, the effect on his millions of followers led to a dramatic reversal of the symbolism of the cross.

The “cross” became a symbol of God's Love. Today, crosses are worn as a pendants by millions of men and women. Among the cross pendants that are so popular among believers are those created by talented Native American jewelry artist. Their works range from simple silver cruciforms to joyful products featuring semi-precious gemstones and intricate and colorful shell overlay.

Native American cross pendants are widely available and very affordable. Many Native American art galleries offer them in outlets across the Southwestern United States, starting as low as $35.. As with almost everything else as well, Navajo, Zuni and Kewa Indian cross pendants are offered worldwide through online galleries, such as Native-American-jewelry.org, that work directly with the artists who create them.