Two (2) ULYSSES MAHKEE Zuni Ram Sheep Fetish Carved Stone Turquoise

No chips, repairs, cracks, etc Signed U.M. In Zuni culture a fetish represents the animal spirit thought to reside in the stone. It is believed that fetishes require a meal of cornmeal and ground turquoise occasionally.. Fetishes may be kept in a clay pot as it is the tradition. However, collectors usually like to keep theirs somewhere where they can be admired and enjoyed. The contemporary fetish may carry an offering of a smaller animal or a prayer bundle. It may be adorned with a heishe (small disc- or tube-shaped beads made of organic shells or ground and polished stones) necklace, feathers, etchings representing ancient petroglyphs, or an etched or inlaid heartline, often turqouise. These small items, although colorful to the eye, are intended to protect and feed the fetish itself.