Navajo Silver Box with Leekya Deyuse Bear Fetish Carving
Artist: Leekya Deyuse, Zuni (1889-1966)
Dimensions: 4”L x 3″W x 4 1/2”H
Tribe: Navajo/ Zuni
Stone: Agate
Material: Silver
Price: Not For Sale
As seen in the Elegant Vessels: A century of southwest silver boxes book (Page 52 & 53)
Leekya Deyuse is considered the first Zuni stone carver to break with tradition and carve for an exclusively commercial market. He produced literally thousands of carvings over the course of his lifetime. His nearly limitless repertoire included animal, plant, and human forms carved in local stones, shell, coral and turquoise. Here, a bear has taken up residence on a Navajo-made silver box.