Vintage Zuni Fetish Necklace with Heishi shell and stone beads

ca. 1960

25.5" L Three Point Drops 2" L x .25" W

4 Brown Bear Fetish Necklace with Heishi and Turquoise Shell Beads

Hook and Eye Enclosure with Three Black Pointed Drops

Excellent Condition

A Heishi Fetish Necklace is a traditional piece of Native American jewelry, primarily associated with the Santo Domingo (Kewa) and Zuni Pueblos in the Southwest. The Zuni and Navajo often trade for Santo Domingo heishi to string their fetish necklaces. The term "heishi" means "shell" in the Keres language of the Santo Domingo Pueblo, referring to small, handcrafted beads typically made from shells, turquoise, coral, or other natural materials. "Fetish" refers to small, carved figures, often animals, that hold spiritual or cultural significance, believed to carry protective or symbolic meanings.

These are tiny, disc-shaped or cylindrical beads, meticulously crafted by slicing materials like shells (e.g., olivella, spiny oyster, mother-of-pearl) or stones (e.g., turquoise, jet, lapis) into strips, cutting them into squares, drilling holes, and grinding them against a stone wheel to achieve a smooth, uniform shape. The beads are then sanded, polished, and strung, often taking days or weeks to complete a single strand due to the labor-intensive process. The necklace incorporates hand-carved fetishes, typically animals like birds, bears, foxes, or turtles, made from materials such as turquoise, mother-of-pearl, abalone, or coral. These fetishes are often strung between heishi beads, adding cultural and artistic depth.

Heishi jewelry is considered one of the oldest forms of jewelry in New Mexico, predating metalwork, with similar bead styles found in ancestral Puebloan sites like Chaco Canyon. Fetishes are tied to spiritual beliefs, representing animals’ qualities like strength or wisdom.