Native American Artifacts and Jewellery

Fetishes are carved stone animals, primarily of Zuni craftsmanship. Each animal has a specific meaning. Traditionally they were used to invoke the spirit of that animal. Often they have an arrow, either carved or inlaid, pointing from the mouth to the body, called the Heart Line, because although the animal is stone, it is believed to possess a real spirit. If there is an arrowhead tied to its back with sinew or twine, it is a hunting fetish. Any power the fetish possesses is imbued by its owner, not the other way around.

Each fetish is an individual work of art, and many are signed or initialled by the artist.

Acoma Pueblo lies about 65 miles south of Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is known as the Sky City, as it's perched atop a mesa (or butte), 375 feet above the desert floor, and is one of the oldest continually inhabited communities in the US. Acoma Pueblo is famous for its thin-walled white pottery painted with geometric designs in black and red.

Santa Clara Pueblo, in New Mexico, is renouned for its distinctive pottery. Designs are deeply carved into the clay, rather than painted on afterwards, and pots are usually solid black or red. After firing, the surface is polished with smooth stones.

According to legend, dream catchers originated with the Woodland Indians. They were hung in the lodge, near the bed, to catch all the dreams, both good and bad, before they reached the sleeper. Bad dreams got lost in the web, where they were held until morning, and were burned off with the light. Good dreams, knowing their way to the centre of the web, would flitre down the feathers, to be dreamed another night.

Our dream catchers are made by Navajo artists. All are made with suede, twine, feathers and tin. The larger size also has deer antler, and the small size has coloured beads.