This breathtaking vintage Zuni fetish necklace by master carver Tony Luella is among the most extraordinary examples of Pueblo lapidary artistry — a seven-strand graduated cascade of hand-carved stone animals representing the full spectrum of sacred Zuni fetish materials and animal spirits. Dozens of individually carved figures — each a miniature sculpture in its own right — are strung on continuous strands of natural brown and tan shell heishi tube beads, with turquoise disc heishi spacers separating each figure and adding a vivid blue accent rhythm throughout the composition.

The animals span every sacred material of the Zuni carving tradition: turquoise bears, birds, frogs, fish, and horses in vivid sky-blue; red and orange coral bears, snakes, lizards, and foxes in deep brick-crimson; jet and black stone bears, wolves, ravens, and foxes in polished obsidian black; mother of pearl and white shell bears, horses, birds, and lizards in luminous ivory; serpentine and olive stone bears and squirrels in warm golden-green; and abalone and iridescent shell fish and birds that shimmer with every movement. Each figure is carved with the confident, practiced hand of a master — the bears with their characteristic hunched shoulders, the snakes and lizards with sinuous body detail, the birds with spread wings, the horses with arched necks — every animal alive with personality and presence.

The undisputed centerpiece of the composition is a magnificent large turquoise thunderbird/eagle with dramatically spread wings — a sacred and powerful symbol in Zuni cosmology — carved from a single piece of vivid sky-blue turquoise with exceptional detail and scale. The seven strands are graduated in length, creating a dramatic cascading fan effect that spreads across the chest with the visual impact of a wearable tapestry.

All seven strands are gathered at each end into polished sterling silver elongated spike cone end caps with wire-wrapped loops, connected by a handmade sterling silver S-hook clasp — clean, minimal hardware that lets the extraordinary carving work speak for itself.

Artisan Heritage

Tony Luella is a celebrated Zuni Pueblo master carver whose fetish work is highly sought after by serious collectors of Native American jewelry. His animals are recognized for their exceptional anatomical detail, confident carving lines, and the extraordinary range of materials he employs — each piece a testament to generations of Zuni lapidary tradition. A signed Tony Luella fetish necklace of this scale and complexity is a rare and significant collector’s acquisition.

Specifications

Artist: Tony Luella, Zuni Pueblo
Tribe: Zuni Pueblo
Style: 7-Strand Graduated Fetish Necklace
Materials: Hand-carved turquoise, red/orange coral, jet/black stone, mother of pearl/white shell, serpentine/olive stone, abalone/iridescent shell fetish animals; natural brown/tan shell heishi tube beads; turquoise disc heishi spacers; polished sterling silver spike cone end caps; sterling silver S-hook clasp
Centerpiece: Large carved turquoise thunderbird/eagle with spread wings
Strands: 7 (graduated lengths, cascading fan)
Hallmark: Tony Luella (signed)
Condition: Excellent vintage condition; all strands intact, all figures secure, clasp functions perfectly

This is a one-of-a-kind estate piece. Authenticity, artistry, and heritage are at the heart of every item we offer at Black Arrow Gallery.