This Aqua Sea Turtle was made by Andrew Quam from Zuni Pueblo. The body is carved from shimmering white mother of pearl and the shell is carved from aqua colored turquoise. The has a layer of turquoise and brown shell. Ten tiny red coral dots are inlayed onto Aqua's back and she has red coral eyes. It is so easy to imagine her swimming through warm seas.
Size: 1.5" L x 1.5" W x .25" H
Turtles have their own homes on their backs which means that wherever they are, they are home and are associated with safety. Some species of sea turtles travel up to 8,000 miles in their migrations. They can hold their breath longer under water than any air breathing creature, and some of them even sleep under water. Unfortunately, they are endangered due to climate change warming the seas.
Traditionally, Zuni carvings are symbolically fed cornmeal. Each Zuni fetish comes in a box with a descriptive card and a tiny bit of corn meal to tide them over until they reach you.