POINTING THE WAY
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Native American peoples of the southwestern parts of the United States have carved small animals from stone, bone and shell since ancient times. Today, the best known carvers come from the pueblo of Zuni, a small village located in western New Mexico. These stone carvings are called fetishes, and contemporary Zuni artists carve many different kinds.
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Some Zuni carvings represent animals that are traditionally associated with a specific direction. These animals guard the Zuni world. The mountain lion, who guards the north, is the most powerful.
The other animal guardians are the bear (west), the badger (south), the wolf (east), the eagle (up), and the mole (down). Each direction is associated with a particular color: yellow (north), blue (west), red (south), white (east), multicolored (up), and black (down). Four of the directional animals and two others protect the hunt for Zuni hunters. These are the mountain lion (north), the coyote (west), the bobcat (south), the wolf (east), the eagle (up), and the mole (down). Zuni men carry carvings of these six animals for success in hunting. Zuni carvers have traditionally represented each animal in a certain way. Once one knows what to look for, one can quickly tell which animal a carving represents. Let's look at how Zuni artists make a mountain lion. Mountain lions have long bodies, round heads, and little round ears. Zuni carvers usually carve the mountain lion's long tail along its back, so it won't break off. Bobcats look different. They have shorter bodies and short tails. Zuni carvers usually make bobcats with their tails pointed backward. Look at the Zuni fetishes shown below. Can you tell which are bobcats and which are mountain lions? Select this text for the answers.
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Although both of the carvings shown below are cat fetishes, something about them is different. Can you guess what is different?
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Both are carvings of domestic cats. Carvings of domestic cats are a recent innovation, since they weren't found in ancient America. The domestic cat was introduced by European settlers who brought cats to America as pets and to control rodent pests.
Today, Zuni artists carve a wide range of animals that are found throughout the world. You'll even find dinosaurs among their carvings! |
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This page is part of Cats! Wild to Mild and is produced by the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. © Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Foundation This page was made possible by a grant from Friskies PetCare Company and the National Science Foundation. All photographic images contained within these Web pages ARE COPYRIGHTED and may not be reproduced or utilized in any manner without the express written consent of the owner. Fetish collection donated to the Anthropology Section of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County by Boyd Walker. Photographs by Jim Angus © Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Foundation. A special thanks to Margaret Hardin and Chris Coleman for their assistance with this page. Page design by Jim Angus |