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Staley Natewa (d.) | ||
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The Zuni fetish collecting community and the Pueblo of Zuni lost Staley much too soon in his young and prolific career as realistic fetish carver. His smiling face and joking manner will be most missed. He is known mostly for his lizard, horned toad and snake carvings. However he began creating large and elaborate carvings of animals protecting the village, carvings that he fashioned after those of his friend and mentor Herbert Him, a true master of realism, who tutored many young Zuni fetish carvers and who originated realistic Puebloan ruin scenes in his Zuni sculptures. Staley rose quickly to become extremely popular with Zuni fetish collectors. His eye for design, his skill in carving, his patience in etching and bringing a fresh, contemporary style to the tradition of Zuni fetish carvings and was recognized quickly as something special for the art of creating Zuni fetish sculptures. He was known for a variety of carvings but most people know him from his lizards, snakes and horned lizards. He had a couple of textural styles for his reptiles- dimpling the skin with "polka dots" and the amazing and precise cross-hatching that he utilizes, much like the checkering on a fine shotgun stock, for it takes a more masterful touch and much more time and expertise to make than the quicker and easier but just-as-effective method of dimpling, like the surface of a golf ball. The lizard is looking off to the side on the lookout for a roadrunner! Staley made this fetish from a piece of serpentine. The eyes are inlaid of Sleeping Beauty turquoise and the sculpture is signed S. Natewa ZUNI on the botom. It weighs 1.3 ounces and very well-carved realistic rendition of a desert dwelling reptile. Though he was a prolific artist these carvings are becoming much harder to find these checkered lizards...so...do not let this beautiful sculpture elude your Zuni fetish collection!
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The Zuni Fetish Story
If you're new to Zuni fetish collecting and interested in learning more about them, we have written a short article about Zuni fetishes and what they mean to the Zuni culture. CLICK HERE to read the article on Zuni fetishes.
Zuni Fetish Meanings
We've written this article to inform Zuni fetish collectors about the specific meanings and attributes of the more traditional Zuni fetish carvings.
CLICK HERE to read the article on Zuni fetish meanings.
The Zuni LanguageIf, as a Zuni fetish collector, you haven't had the opportunity visit Zuni Pueblo but would enjoy hearing some words in the Zuni language, we hope you'll findthis article interesting and informative. CLICK HERE and turn up your volume to enjoy! The Zuni Spirits BlogIn an effort to keep our collectors informed of new arrivals, posts of interest to Zuni fetish collectors, the latest critters to visit our east Texas woods, rants, raves and rambles will be published HERE at the Zuni Spirits Blog. You may subscribe (& unsubscribe) at this link. | ||
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