Stone Polished Black Bear with Turquoise and Hieshe [SOLD]

According to Tewa Pueblo legend, bears have the ability to always find water.  Santa Clara Pueblo potters celebrate this by placing bear paws as the design on water jars, a belief that if done, then the jar will never be without water.  Potters at all the Tewa Pueblos make bear figurines in honor of the bear and its abilities to discover water—something most important in the dry southwest. 

It has been stated by Zuni Pueblo makers of fetishes that the more the fetish is embellished, the stronger is its powers.  Often, the carvers of fetishes add arrowheads, hieshe, turquoise, shell and coral to fetishes to increase their powers.

Russell Sanchez has created a bear figurine of traditional Tewa clay and slip and embellished it with four beautiful Kingman turquoise cabs imbedded into the body, each highlighted by adding sienna around the stones.  Two rows of shell hieshe and two rows of turquoise hieshe are strapped across the back of the bear. Small turquoise cabs are inset for eyes.  The arch of the legs on both sides of the bear are adorned with small impressions of dots into the clay.  The same was done as outlining for the hieshe on the bear’s back.  The bear is signed on the underside.  It appears that this bear is endowed with strong powers.

Russell Sanchez is certainly the 21^st-century master artist at San Ildefonso Pueblo.  His work is flawless and beautiful to view.  It will certainly stand the scrutiny of time and be classed as a true work of art for decades to come.  Now is the time to add his pottery to one’s collection while the prices are still affordable.

Condition: new

Recommended Reading: Art of Clay: Timeless Pottery of the Southwest by Lee Cohen.  This book is currently not available from Adobe Gallery

Provenance: from the artist