Antique Native American Indian

Old Pawn Native American Zuni Silver-Turquoise Bracelet with Carved Bear Fetish

Old Pawn Native American Zuni Silver-Turquoise Bracelet with Carved Bear Fetish
Old Pawn Native American Zuni Silver-Turquoise Bracelet with Carved Bear Fetish
Old Pawn Native American Zuni Silver-Turquoise Bracelet with Carved Bear Fetish
Old Pawn Native American Zuni Silver-Turquoise Bracelet with Carved Bear Fetish
Old Pawn Native American Zuni Silver-Turquoise Bracelet with Carved Bear Fetish
Old Pawn Native American Zuni Silver-Turquoise Bracelet with Carved Bear Fetish
Old Pawn Native American Zuni Silver-Turquoise Bracelet with Carved Bear Fetish
Old Pawn Native American Zuni Silver-Turquoise Bracelet with Carved Bear Fetish
Old Pawn Native American Zuni Silver-Turquoise Bracelet with Carved Bear Fetish
Old Pawn Native American Zuni Silver-Turquoise Bracelet with Carved Bear Fetish
Old Pawn Native American Zuni Silver-Turquoise Bracelet with Carved Bear Fetish
Old Pawn Native American Zuni Silver-Turquoise Bracelet with Carved Bear Fetish

Old Pawn Native American Zuni Silver-Turquoise Bracelet with Carved Bear Fetish

Zuni Sandcast Silver Bracelet-Turquoise Bear Fetish - Southwest Native American. Fine old Zuni sandcast silver bracelet decorated with a bezel-set, turquoise bear, hand-carved in the style of a Zuni fetish.

Probably circa 1940's or earlier. The bracelet is finely finished with beautiful hand-filing all over the front surfaces of the silver (see close-up photos). The back shows the texture of the tufa stone and very few file marks.

The carved bear is set into a hand-made sawtooth bezel and positioned so that the wearer sees it standing. The bezel is soldered to a silver sheet, which in turn was soldered onto the top of the cast and filed bracelet. Some of the sawtooth bezel points are bent back against the side of the bezel and have been like that for a long time judging from the wear on them. The turquoise bear is nicely carved and finished by hand. There are several tiny scratches on the bear's rump which look to have been colored up at some time.

The turquoise has some filing marks visible on the sides. I don't know who the maker is, but it may have been made by Leekya Deyuse, Juan De Dios (Juan Dideos) or Dan Simplicio (or a cooperative effort between Leekya and one of the others).

To me the turquoise looks like Leekya and the bracelet has the same look on the back and filing on the front that I have seen on Juan De Dios bracelets. Bought from a Midwestern collector / dealer with no provenance of history known. I don't know who the maker is.

Wrist size (including opening) : 6 3/4. Width (at the top) : 1 3/4. Bear carving : 1" x 5/8". Looks to have been polished at some point, but the old darkened, oxidized patina is visible in the crevices and hard to polish areas.

Bear has some scratches on the rump, possibly colored up at some time in it's history. This piece will be a quality addition to any collection of Native American Jewelry, will look great on and display beautifully in any decor: Arts and Crafts, Art Deco, Americana, Folk Art, Southwest, Santa Fe-Taos, or Contemporary.

This object comes from a smoke-free, pet-free environment. _gsrx_vers_856 GS 7.0.20 (856).

This item is in the category "Collectibles\Cultures & Ethnicities\Native American: US\1935-Now\Jewelry". The seller is "antiques-art" and is located in this country: US. This item can be shipped worldwide.

  • Origin: Southwest
  • Artisan: Zuni
  • Tribal Affiliation: Zuni
  • Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
  • Handmade: Yes
  • Culture: Native American: US


Old Pawn Native American Zuni Silver-Turquoise Bracelet with Carved Bear Fetish