Navajo Brown Bear Fetish

Late 20th Century

2" H x 3.125" L x 1.375" W

Hand Carved from a Brown, Rust and Tan Marbled Stone

In Very Good Condition

A Navajo (Diné) brown bear fetish is a small, hand-carved stone (or sometimes other material) figure of a bear, made by Navajo artisans. It draws on broader Southwestern Native American traditions—especially those of the neighboring Zuni Pueblo, where animal fetishes are particularly central—while reflecting Navajo cultural views of the bear.