Signed "Vickie and Eileen Tortalita" Zuni Sunface Brooch

Signed "Vickie and Eileen Tortalita" Zuni Sunface Brooch Silver inlaid with mother of pearl, turquoise, and coral. Some patina due to natural aging. "Zuni Sunface Symbolism: the Zuni know the important role that the sun has in agriculture and sustaining all life. They celebrate the sun and created a symbol to honor it. Sunface represents continuity of their crops, stability and life. They also believe that using the Sunface symbol helps keep families happy and serene. The Sunface symbolizes positive energy, peace and happiness in addition to abundance, life, and continuity. Many Zuni continue to use this symbol for all of these things. In general, the symbol consists of a round face, slitted rectangular eyes, a small circle for the mouth, and a forehead divided into two sections. It’s common for the forehead to be half coral and half turquoise. The splitting of the forehead into two sections is to represent sunrise and sunset. Each person exists as an individual and a member of the family, which is another meaning of the splitting of the forehead. Many Zuni artists add petal-like or feather-like designs around the face to mimic the sun’s rays. This is especially common in jewelry. The feathers or petals may only partially or completely surround the face."