Mountain Lion with the Sun

This sleek mountain by Danette Laate has an inlaid Sunface of turquoise, red coral, and jet on its back.  The Sunface is surrounded by four tiny turquoise dots in the cardinal directions.  It is carved from serpentine the same color as some mountain lions.  The face and paws are beautifully detailed.  "DL" is engraved on the bottom.

Size: .675" H x 3.5" L x .375" W

In Zuni Pueblo, mountain lions are the guardians of the north, which is where wisdom lives.  They are sleek hunters who are primarily solitary predators, and in Zuni, they are the leaders of all of the hunting animals.  Full of grace, they move through life silently and with great power until they want you to hear them.

Traditionally, Zuni carvings are symbolically fed cornmeal.   Each Zuni fetish comes in a box with a descriptive card and a tiny bit of corn meal to tide them over until they reach you.