Turtle Taxi

If you are on social media much then you've seen the posts about animals with other creatures on their backs in nature.  Those are the images that came to mind when we saw this turtle with two dragonflies on its back.  Taylor Gia carved this Turtle Taxi from serpentine and gave it large turquoise eyes.  The two dragonflies have heads of natural red coral.  The face, front feet, and tail are all detailed. "TG" and "Zuni" are engraved on the bottom

Size: .5" H x 2" L x 1.375" 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.