1918.32.6

Collection type

Object

Description

Two stone figure of animals, bound together by a string of shell beads. Recorded as a 'Zuni hunting fetish'.

Long description

Two stone figure of animals, bound together by a string of shell beads. Recorded as a 'Zuni hunting fetish'. One animal is white in colour and the other is light brown in colour. The shell beads are covered with dark brown resin. [MJD (Verve) 30/3/2016]

Geographical reference

United States of America

Northern America > North America > United States of America

Western USA New Mexico

Cultural groups

Zuni

Person

Field collector James Stevenson

PRM source Amabel Nevill Sollas

Date / Period

Date made: Before 1918

Date collected

1884 or before

Acquisition information

Donated: 1918

Materials and processes

Material Stone, Material Shell, Material Resin Plant, Process Bound, Process Recycled

Dimensions

Width: max 18 mm, Length: max 31 mm

Object numbers

Accession number: 1918.32.6

Research and responses

This object should be considered alongside 30 other artefacts held by the PRM. The Museum acquired 29 'Zuni hunting fetishes', and also a bag for holding such a fetish, between 1894 and 1918, from 4 sources. There is a stone animal figure with a stone arrow-head bound to it donated by Richard Carnac Temple (1894.27.252), and a ceramic figure of a coyote with a red chert flake bound to its back, acquired in an exchange with Edward Lovett in 1894 (1894.55.1). There is also a stone animal figure with a stone arrow-head bound to its back, donated from the estate of Henry Nottidge Moseley (1895.8.2); 16 stone animal figures donated from Tylor’s estate, of which 12 have objects bound to them (1917.53.573-587); and 10 stone animal figures donated from the donated from Moseley’s estate in 1918, 6 of which have objects bound to them (1918.32.1-10). Moseley’s collection also included a deer-skin bag, recorded as made ‘for holding 'prey-god' fetishes and hung round the neck of the owner when on hunting expeditions’ (1918.32.11), and a ‘molar of a bear from a native shrine at Thunder Mountain’, Zuni Pueblo, McKinley County, which is also recorded as a ‘hunting charm’ (1918.32.12). As well as these objects, there is also a similar stone figure of an animal (with nothing bound to it) from the collection of Adrien de Mortillet, which came to the PRM in a transfer from the Wellcome Collection in 1985 (1985.52.875). This is (like the Tylor and Moseley ceramics) recorded as collected by James Stevenson in New Mexico. This indicates that it is possible that the Tylor and Moseley hunting fetishes were also collected by James Stevenson -- who collected Zuni ceramics for the Smithsonian Institution, some of which were donated to Tylor and Moseley in 1894. [Dan Hicks 16/08/2012]

For ease of searching, the records for all 31 objects have the text "Zuni hunting fetish" in the 'Description' field. [Dan Hicks 16/08/2012]

In the light of the above, I have added James Stevenson as the possible field collector, and the Smithsonian Institution as a possible other owner, as is recorded in the primary documentation for much of the other Moseley New Mexico material. [Dan Hicks 16/08/2012]

Associated publications

Cushing, F.H. 1883. Zuñi fetiches. Second annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology (1880-1881). Washington D.C.: Government Printing Office, pp. 3-45. http://www.gutenberg.org/files/20067/20067-h/20067-h.htm [Dan Hicks 02/08/2012]

Search terms: Archery Weapon, Religion, Hunting, Figure, Amulet, Animal Figure, Hunting accessory