RARE VINTAGE NATIVE AMERICAN HAND CARVED HESHI BEADS AND MULTI-GEMSTONE BEAR FETISH NECKLACE MEASURES 24" LONG IN IMPECCABLE CONDITION. THIS IS A TRADITIONAL ZUNI TRIBAL NECKLACE THAT IS WORN TO CONNECT WITH THE ANCESTORS, MOTHER EARTH AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ANIMAL DEPICTED IN THE FETISH NECKLACE. 🐻 THE BEAR IS A SYMBOL OF HEALING WHILE DISPLAYING STRENGTH AND INTROSPECTION. 🐻 THESE FETISH NECKLACES WERE CARVED INTO DIFFERENT ANIMALS AND SUPERNATURAL SPIRITS, EACH A SIGNIFICANT SYMBOL TO THE ZUNI PEOPLE. THE ANIMALS AND SPIRITS DEPICTED THROUGH THESE FETISH NECKLACES ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE SPECIFIC CHARACTERISTICS THAT ARE TRANSFERRED INTO THE CARVINGS THEMSELVES. IF YOU OWNED A FETISH NECKLACE, YOU WOULD THEN INHERIT THE RESPECTIVE PROPERTIES THAT YOUR FETISH NECKLACE REPRESENTS. 🐻 ANIMALS HAVE IMPORTANT SYMBOLIC CHARACTERISTICS THAT ARE RELATIVELY CONSISTENT; HOWEVER, THE SPIRIT OF THE FETISH CAN BE INTERPRETED IN MANY WAYS DEPENDING ON THE INDIVIDUAL OWNER'S PERSPECTIVE. 🐻 THE LITERAL MEANING OF HEISHI IS "SHELL" AND SPECIFICALLY REFERS TO PIECES OF SHELL WHICH HAVE BEEN DRILLED AND GROUND INTO BEADS AND THEN STRUNG INTO NECKLACES. MORE FREQUENTLY, HOWEVER, HEISHI (PRONOUNCED HEE-SHEE) HAS COME TO REFER TO HAND-MADE TINY BEADS MADE OF NATURAL MATERIAL. 🐻 AMAZINGLY DETAILED WORK, STUNNING GENUINE GEMSTONES MAKE THIS A ONE OF A KIND PIECE THAT WILL BE CHERISHED FOR GENERATIONS. ☆THANK YOU FOR SHOPPING MY CLOSET AND DON'T FORGET TO BUNDLE FOR MORE SAVINGS!