Kucate, Theodore

Theodore Kucate (1888–1980) was a Zuni Pueblo fetish carver known for traditional, relatively simple styles that revived older forms. savvycollector.com He worked as a farmer and jeweler before beginning to carve fetishes in the 1920s. He drew inspiration from the drawings in Frank Hamilton Cushing’s Zuni Fetishes, and traders encouraged this revival of historical styles. Kucate preferred local stones and kept his work rooted in older Zuni conventions rather than the high detail of some contemporaries. He was innovative with eyes—using drilled holes or slits, inlaid turquoise chips, and later raised turquoise dots—and often set coral, jet, or turquoise with pitch. He continued carving until near his death in 1980.