Abalone Eagle, Bears And Zuni Sun Face by Andres Lementino

A fantastic large abalone eagle with a Zuni sun face and two bears near the base stand guard. Carved by Andres Lementino - we are so happy to receive this big carving. Andres simply worked with the shell to pull the eagle out of it! The wings are primarily incised in the red part of the shell - then Andres sanded down past it to create the eagle's iridescent face with one turquoise inlaid eye. Then mosaic style bits of gold-lip was used to create the eagle's beak. It is so wonderful how each bit of shell catches the light in different ways. Behind the eagle's raised wing is a large Zuni sun face with four turquoise sun rays and three coral. The face has two turquoise inlaid slit style eyes and a black marble inlaid mouth. Above the eyes is a horizontal line created from four abalone and three pen shell strips. In the two quadrants above this line are seven apple coral dots and one turquoise quadrant. Andres stabilized the eagle by using two thick abalone medicine bears with turquoise inlaid eyes. The bears raise the lower wing a bit and secure the carving. The back side is left untouched but the profile of the eagle stands out none the less due to the iridescence and the prominent beak. The eagle is the guardian and master of the sky - revered for its power, strength and dynamic grace. The eagle has incredible vision so eagle medicine calls one to look at the comprehensive whole picture of any situation. The sun face is an ancient symbol in Zuni culture, representing the sacred Sun Father. The symbol's round motif depicts the Sun with a forehead split down the middle to reflect the eternal balance between sunrise and sunset. To the Zuni, the sun face represents prosperity, happiness, peace, hope, optimism, and positive energy. The medicine bear shape is thought to resemble a cave opening - depicting a bear coming out of hibernation and the pose suggests that the bear is sniffing the ground for healing herbs. The Zuni believe the bear is endowed with curative powers, strength, adaptability and courage - powers that can influence both the spiritual and physical realm. Putting the eagle, the Zuni sun face and the medicine bears together seems to be a prayer for strength, stability and positive energy. Artist: Andres Lementino (signed) Size: 6 in. long x 3 in. wide x 7 in. tall #63204