Zuni Turtle Fetish by Herbert Him

2 1/4"

From a Private Colorado Collection

Excellent Condition

Herbert Him is a renowned Zuni fetish carver from the Zuni Pueblo in New Mexico, known for his naturalistic and detailed carvings, particularly of bears, which often depict them catching salmon or interacting with their environment. He began carving in the late 1980s, transitioning from a career as a sheetrock installer, and has been active for over 25 years. Him is one of the few Zuni artists to pursue formal art training, studying under the mentorship of sculptor Allan Houser for over two years at a university. His work is characterized by innovative use of materials like alabaster, serpentine, and turquoise, and he is celebrated for carvings of various animals and guardian figures, such as frogs, eagles, or Indians over a pueblo. His signature pieces include bears with fish in their mouths, a hallmark of his style for over two decades. Him’s son, Herbert Him Jr., has also become a skilled carver, producing fetishes that approach the quality of his father’s work.

Some Native Americans believe that the turtle contributed to creation because the turtle dove into the primeval waters to retrieve mud to create Mother Earth. The turtle is regarded as a skillful navigator through life's difficulties. Turtle medicine teaches one to go with the flow.