There is another similar carving by Delvin in this showing (a bird, #9568) but this is not a bird - it's an eagle. Carved from Zuni rock - a local travertine mined & used almost exclusively by the Leekya family - this eagle features wings inlaid of gold-lipped Mother of Pearl, turquoise and pink shell. The colors and shimmer of the shells are outstanding. Equally pretty are the inlaid tail feathers of abalone and Mother of Pearl.

Eagles are highly sacred in most Native American cultures and truly so in Zuni. Their feathers are still used in ceremonies today. The Zuni Eagle Sanctuary is the first eagle sanctuary owned and operated by Native Americans and the first aviary constructed for the purpose of cultural preservation. It combines both functional aspects of eagle care with an aesthetic that reflects the natural surroundings of Zuni. The Sanctuary is home to more than twenty eagles that otherwise would have been destroyed.

Delvin has signed this sacred eagle on the bottom.