Zuni Fetish Carvings and Zuni Necklaces

Aaron and Thelma Sheche

Aaron and Thelma Sheche Zuni Fetish Carvings

Aaron and Thelma were born and lived in Zuni during times of great change. When they were young, people around them remembered Zuni before modern times… before electricity and modern communications.

Thelma Sheche Aaron Sheche

For most of their lives, Teddy Kucate (Thelma’s father) lived with aaron and Thelma and helped teach them fetish carving. It is generally accepted that Teddy Kucate helped Cushing write and illustrate Frank Cushing’s Smithsonian report and that was the way they carved

I thought it was time, in 1998 that for Aaron and Thelma carve the fetishes seen in Frank Cushing’s 1880’s Smithsonian report. They were getting older and if it was not done soon it would never happen.

This began a wonderful journey for me… to spend time with Aaron and Thelma and be part of this project.

Zuni fetish collectors benefited too. Aaron and Thelma did indeed complete every page of the Cushing book at least once. Every Zuni fetish in the book was reproduced in the correct stone and correct color at least once. When ever possible, I would give them exotic stone from Tom Allen’s Hidden Valley Stone Yard.

This endeavor proved so important that Bahti wrote a book around this wonderful happening with pictures of some of the fetishes we were making. Now, years later collectors rarely ever part with theirs.

Should anyone wish to consign, sell or trade their Aaron and Thelma carvings please call me.

Actual sinew is used to wrap the arrowheads and offerings… not a Tandy commercial substitute.

These are religious icons.Thelma and Aaron Sheche bless stone before starting to carve. They pray their fetishes will bring good and find their way to the right owner.