Featured in this lot is this Zuni multi-strand bird fetish necklace circa 1960's. Zuni Multi-Strand Bird Fetish Necklace with Heishi, Seed and Tube Beads, circa 1960s. Carving fetishes has been a part of the Zuni culture for hundreds of years. The art of carving decorative necklaces was first practiced by Pueblo and Zuni carvers. These necklaces are either one strand or multi-strands of strung together with a variety of small carved animal figures that are drilled and strung with shell or turquoise "heishi" beads. These bird or animal carvings may be as small as a half an inch or less. The fetish necklaces may be created by a single artist, a family of artists, or assembled by a group of artists who work together in a shop. Fetishes were originally carved by Native American tribes to ceremonially capture the spirit of the animal they represent. They were tied with offerings of shells, stones, or feathers, and were "fed" with corn pollen or other foods as an offering to the spirit of the fetish. The Zuni as well as other Pueblo tribes kept their fetishes in jars inside of their kivas, (a space used by Puebloans for rites and political meetings, many of them associated with the kachina belief system) and only brought them out only for specific ceremonies. The condition of this Zuni necklace is good with no obvious signs of damage and shows good overall condition. The measurements of this necklace from clasp to clasp is 26 1/2". The collective weight of this necklace from clasp to clasp is 49.7g.