Two Strand Graduated Fetish Necklace, 21 Bears and 3 Buffaloes
Herbert Davis
- Marked Down $1,500.00
- Gallery Price $2,000.00
- Title
- Two Strand Graduated Fetish Necklace, 21 Bears and 3 Buffaloes
- Artist
- Herbert Davis
- Medium
- Buffalo are carved of white alabaster. Bears are made of jet, Zuni stone, pipe stone, blue to green natural turquoise, brown serpentine.
- Troy ounces
- 2.86 troy ounces
- Size
- 28" length (outside strand), 24" length (inside strand). Animals graduate in size from 7/16" X 11/16" X 5/16" to 3/4" X 1 1/4" X 1/2". Heishi is 2mm X 2 mm.
- Date of creation
- 1960's-1970's
- Condition
- Excellent
- Provenance
- JW
- Gram weight
- 89 grams
- About The Two Strand Graduated Fetish Necklace, 21 Bears and 3 Buffaloes
There are 21 bears and 3 buffaloes of varied materials. The buffalo are carved of white alabaster. Six bears are made of jet, two of a rose tan Zuni stone, 3 of pipe stone, 8 of blue to green natural turquoise and one bear is a brown serpentine with a dense disbribution of black spots. The creatures are all drilled through from back to belly so that they present in a standing position. Carving was done using a wheel as well as a variety of lapidary tools. Finish is lightly buffed using a wax compound.
Heishi strung with the fetishes is 2 mm in diameter X 2 mm in length. It is beautifully made of pipe stone, an amber-hued shell, jet and turquoise. Length of each bead is determined by the material slice, sheet or shell thickness. Lines are marked horizontally and vertically, creating a grid with squares to accommodate the diameter of the bead desired. A hole is drilled in the center of each square and they are cut apart on the grid lines and strung on flexible wire enabling the bead maker to hold them against a grinding wheel, taking the corners off. As each bead is turned, or rolled against the abrading wheel, they become disc or tube heishi. Polishing is done on a buffing wheel in the same manner.
The two strands are tied into hand-made sterling cones and finished with hook and eye.
- About Herbert Davis
- 20th century, Navajo Dineh artist referenced in Mark Bahti's book Spirit in the Stone I.
- Cultures
- Medium
- Subject
- Keywords