Gently Smiling Malachite Frog with Coral Eyes
Neil Natewa
- Savvy Price $1,400.00
- Gallery Price $1,800.00
- Title
- Gently Smiling Malachite Frog with Coral Eyes
- Artist
- Neil Natewa
- Medium
- Malachite and Mediterranean coral
- Size
- 2 3/8" height X 4" length X 2 1/2" width
- Condition
- Excellent
- Provenance
- Ka Fe
- About The Gently Smiling Malachite Frog with Coral Eyes
This handsome frog fetish was hand carved from a large piece of rich, deep green malachite. Eyes were made of tomato red Mediterranean coral and inlay set.
The polish is a silken whisper over the entire body, with the exception of the eyes, which have such a high luster, they look wet.
Frog fetishes are "rain bringers". In the desert Southwest they represent water and the life it brings to everyone and everything in an otherwise hostile climate.
This wonderful carving is soothing to the touch. Though not an enchanted prince, his sweet smile will warm your heart.
- About Neil Natewa
(20th century, Zuni) "Natewa started carving in the early 1950's when he worked for trader Oscar Branson in Albuquerque while at school. Natewa continued with Branson later in Tucson in the early 1960's, but stopped producing fetishes by the end of that decade.
Neil was famous for standing fetishes (especially bears and frogs) as well as bird stringing fetishes for necklaces." A Guide to Zuni Fetishes and Carvings by Kent McManis
- Cultures
- Medium
- Subject
- Keywords