Necklace of 15 Jet Coral Heartline Bears with Coral Tubes and Shell Heishi
Sheldon and Nancy Westika
- Savvy Price $985.00
- Gallery Price $1,400.00
- Title
- Necklace of 15 Jet Coral Heartline Bears with Coral Tubes and Shell Heishi
- Artist
- Sheldon and Nancy Westika
- Medium
- Jet, coral, turquoise, shell, sterling silver
- Size
- Necklace is 31" in length. Bears range from the largest 1 3/4" X 1" X 7/8" to the smallest 1 3/8" X 5/8" X 3/8"
- Date of creation
- 1970's
- Condition
- Excellent
- Turquoise
- Natural turquoise
- Description
- A symbol of healers and healing, bears have been revered for their "magic". Their hybernation is likened to a form of death and resurrection. The fact that mother bears give birth and nurse their newborn cubs, while in this state, is also regarded as display proof of extraordinary life force--giving bears "sacred" status.
- Provenance
- Fa Ke
- About The Necklace of 15 Jet Coral Heartline Bears with Coral Tubes and Shell Heishi
Fifteen hand-carved bears are each made of a single piece of jet with eyes of inlaid turquoise heishi and red coral mouth to heart lines terminating on both sides with an "arrowhead" triangle. This coral inlay was trenched out of the jet by hand prior to fitting the coral.
Hand cut, drilled and polished tubes of Mediterranean coral, alternating with a single spacer of white shell heishi, provide the complimentary strand material with which the bears are strung.
There are only 100% natural materials used in every part of this handsome necklace. Sterling silver cones and a hand-crafted silver wire clasp closure the back though the necklace is long enough to be put over one's head.
Every bear looks up at the wearer with a smile !
- About Sheldon and Nancy Westika
- (20th century Zuni jewelers) Sheldon and Nancy Westika (husband and wife) created fetish carvings of a variety of birds and animals. They were known for hand-carved creatures made of natural materials, shells, turquoise, coral, serpentine and jet.Active since the 1970's, they are best known for their coral heartline smiling jet bears with blue turquoise eyes looking up. Sheldon and Nancy became known for these bears, for the inlay and especially for their signature sweetness. Their carved bears have never been successfully copied as the replicas fail to project the Westika couple's "spirit".
- Cultures
- Medium
- Subject
- Keywords