Tranquil Turtle

Zuni carver Todd Etsate carved Tranquil Turtle from spider web onyx and inlaid turquoise eyes.  There are nine inlaid turquoise dots around the edge of the shell with one in the center.  It feels very good in the hand.

Size: .5" H x 1.5" L x 1" W

Turtles have their own homes on their backs which means that wherever they are, they are home.  They are associated with safety.  When attacked they retreat into their shells, although some turtles have strong enough mouths to snap a finger.  For most Native American nations in North America, turtles represent Mother Earth.  Every turtle shell has 13 sections on top which some Native Americans say represent the 13 moons of each year.

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.