Salvador Romero is a noted fetish carver from Cochiti Pueblo. He once told me how he scours his local riverbeds for the “rez rock” used in his carvings. This Bear carving is unusual in that it is made from relatively light volcanic rock. The Bear is 4 1/2″ long and 1 1/4″ wide. It has a spiny oyster shell point attached which is 2″ long. I’ve had this fetish by Sal for at least 20 years.
