Tranquil Sea Turtle

Christopher Pooacha carved this tranquil sea turtle travertine.  It's easy to imagine it swimming in a warm ocean.  The shell, mouth, and feet are detailed and it appears to be swimming over coral.  There are five inlaid turquoise stones on the shell, with inlaid turquoise eyes.

Size: 1.375" H x 1.5" H x 1.5" W

Turtles have their own homes on their backs which means that wherever they are, they are home.  They 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.