Zuni Pueblo Snake Fetish

3.5" L x .25" D

Hand Carved from Wood and Painted in Red, Yellow, Black, Purple, White and Teel Colors with Fine Detail

Excellent Condition

Zuni Pueblo, located in western New Mexico, is renowned for its tradition of carving animal fetishes—small sculptures believed to embody spiritual guardians or helpers. The snake fetish (often called Chitdola or associated with serpentine figures) holds a prominent place in Zuni cosmology and artistry. These carvings are not mere decorative items but are deeply tied to Zuni beliefs in transformation, healing, and the cycles of nature.

Snakes are one of the "six cardinal guardian fetishes" in Zuni lore, alongside animals like the bear, eagle, mountain lion, frog, and wolf. They teach lessons in alchemy—transforming the negative into the positive—and connect individuals to greater powers. Unlike traditional fetishes blessed by medicine people for ceremonial use, many modern carvings are artistic expressions sold to collectors, though they retain symbolic potency.