Picasso Marble Badger Protecting the Village by Michael Laweka

A cream, prominent gray and brown streaked Picasso marble badger with turquoise inlaid eyes in an expressive face with a pert upturned nose - carved by Michael Laweka on top of the Zuni village looking up at the viewer with turquoise inlaid eyes. The back portion of the badger literally recedes into the village it is perched on with the front legs carved in the round displaying incised claws. The badger stripe is carved as a raised leaf with fur carved all around it in a diagonal direction. The village incised below the badger has incised stacked stones as well as windows and turquoise viga/beams that present as turquoise dots. This carving conjures back to a Zuni belief that animals protected the village from floods back at its early inception. Badger medicine bolsters all defenses most especially one's own self preservation skills by focusing / guiding one's spirit to be more tenacious and grounded when working towards a goal. Artist: Michael Laweka (signed) Size: 2-1/2 in. wide x 3-3/4 in. long x 1-3/8 in. tall #64538