Vintage Kaniatobe Rainbow Web Fetish Necklace

Estimate: $250-$350

Description: Rainbow Web fetish necklace "Butterfly Dreams" by Native American Artist Robert Kaniatobe. This vintage Choctaw fetish necklace with hummingbirds and a bighorn ram is 30 inches long. Made from fossilized walrus ivory, bison and bear bone. It is designed using 19th century glass beads, shell, buri nut, malachite, brass and copper. 

Bio: Robert Kaniatobe (1936-1998) was born in Tom, Oklahoma. His specialties were designing and carving ivory fetish figures, designing silver art works and sculpting in clay. In the 1980s, he began putting his carved fossilized fetish carvings together with various beads and forming exquisite necklaces. All of the fetishes in this necklace were hand carved by Kaniatobe using bison bone for the coyote and 2000-3000 year old fossil walrus ivory for the hummingbirds and frogs. The beads are mostly antique glass Venetian and Czech trade beads including “eye” beads (1700-1800), early molded glass (1600s), milk glass (1600-1920), and feather glass (1700s). Also used are ancient hand carved agate, bone, shell, brass, copper and silver elements. The rings are used to symbolize continuity in the universe.

These carvings have traditionally served a ceremonial purpose for their creators and depict animals and icons integral to their culture.