26.75" L + 1.5" Eagle Drop
A particularly nice set of carvings.
Red Coral Bead strands with Multi-Stone Multi Animal Fetishes with Arrowhead and bead offerings and Black Eagle Drop with Arrowhead and bead offering
2 Silver cones hook and eye enclosure
Excellent Condition
A Heishi Fetish Necklace is a type of traditional Native American jewelry, most closely associated with the Santo Domingo (Kewa) and Zuni Pueblos in the Southwestern United States. It combines heishi beads—small, handcrafted beads traditionally made from shells but now also crafted from stones, coral, or other natural materials—with fetish carvings, which are small, hand-carved figures (often animals) that hold cultural and spiritual significance.
The term "heishi" means "shell" in the Keres language of the Santo Domingo Pueblo. Traditionally, heishi beads are made from shells like olivella, spiny oyster, or mother-of-pearl, but modern heishi can include materials like turquoise, coral, lapis, or jet.
Fetishes are small carvings, often of animals (e.g., birds, bears, foxes, turtles, or fish), that are believed to carry spiritual significance in Native American cultures, particularly among the Zuni. Each animal may represent specific qualities or powers, such as protection, strength, or wisdom.
