Serene Sea Turtle

Zuni carver, Adrian Cachini, carved this Serene Sea Turtle from catlinite with inlaid turquoise eyes.  The turtle's back is engraved with an eight petaled flower with turquoise dots inlaid into the center and at the end of each petal.  Feathers and geometric shapes are engraved onto the base which may be a leaf that the turtle is resting upon.

Size: .75" H x 2.75" L x 1.85" 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.