Observant Sea Turtle

Zuni carver, Adrian Cachini, carved this observant sea turtle from catlinite and etched a big flower on its shell.  The flower has an inlaid turquoise in the center and inlaid turquoise eyes.  Its face, shell, feet, and tail are detailed.  It's easy to imagine it gently drifting on ocean currents and looking around.  "Adrian Cachini" and "Zuni" are etched on the bottom.

Size: .375" H x 1.875" L x 1.25" W

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.