23 Fetish Necklace Featuring Bears and Wolves

Created some time beween the late 1950's and 1961, this fetish necklace represents a warm and wonderful collaboration of four Leekya family members.

Visible in the carved details and finish work done to created these 23 Zuni stone bears and wolves, are the signature feature styles and method marks of Leekya Deyuse, daughters Sarah and Alice and son Francis.

A bonus aspect is the tactile appeal this assemblage of tiny stone sculptures evokes.  Your hands and heart will thank you for its acquisition.

Leekya Deyuse and his children Sarah, Alice and Francis

Leekya Deyuse was the master carver of Zuni fetishes to which all other carvers are routinely compared. Working for C.G. Wallace in the 1920's making tab, nugget and disc bead necklaces, Leekya advanced into carving fetishes and miniature sculptures. By 1926, he was fashioning fetish necklaces.

At times he was known to have collaborated with Teddy Weahkee, Dan Simplicio and Luke Billy Yazzie. Leekya favored working with silver, coral and natural turquoise. He made bears, deer, squirrels, horses, rams, steers, birds, ducks, frogs, turtles, butterflies and leaves--all shaped distinctively.

More than 30 years ago, a three-strand necklace by Leekya sold for $10,000 at auction, the same year a different Leekya necklace sold for $14,000.  More recently a turquoise and coral two strand fetish necklace by Leekya was sold through SavvyCollector.com in excess of $35,000.00.

This artist's work was included in an exhibition held in 2002 "Jewels of the Southwest" held at the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture.