Maidens & Standing Beings

This tall and elegant antler Corn Maiden was carved many years ago by Claudia Peina.  She is wearing a tablita with inlaid jet and turquoise on each side.  The face has inlaid turquoise eyes with a natural red coral mouth.  It has a total of twenty-seven natural red coral inlaid dots, a total of eighty-six turquoise dots, and thirty-four inlaid jet dots (if our count was correct and we counted twice).  She was well loved for many years in the personal collection of the owner of Gathering Tribes.  More about Corn Maidens below.

Size: 8.25" H x 4.5" W due to the curve.

Corn Maidens represent everything good about being a woman: strong, kind, compassionate, nurturing, and powerful.  There are many Indigenous stories about how corn was brought to the people at a time when there was hunger, and how a sacred, sometimes other worldly, female being brought them corn.  Corn maidens come with a card detailing the meaning, the carver, and the material they are carved from.

Traditionally, Zuni carvings are symbolically fed cornmeal.   Each Zuni fetish comes in a box with a descriptive card and a tiny bit of corn meal to tide them over until they reach you.

This willowy Corn Maiden was carved from turquoise by Carl Etsate.  She has inlaid jet eyes and  mouth, and red coral and jet dots inlaid on her body.  We especially love her long carved hair down her back.  More about Corn Maidens below.

Size: 2" H x .365" Diameter

Corn maidens represent everything good about being a woman: strong, kind, compassionate, nurturing, and powerful.  There are many Indigenous stories about how corn was brought to the people at a time when there was hunger, and how a sacred, sometimes other worldly, female being brought them corn.  Corn maidens come with a card detailing the meaning, the carver, and the material they are carved from.

Traditionally, Zuni carvings are symbolically fed cornmeal.   Each Zuni fetish comes in a box with a descriptive card and a tiny bit of corn meal to tide them over until they reach you.

This gracefully curved cedar Corn Maiden was made by Carl Etsate.  It has inlaid jet and turquoise eyes, a turquoise mouth, and jet and turquoise dots on her body.  As with all of Carl's Corn Maidens, this one is well detailed.

Size: 2.75" H x 1" L x .5" W

Corn maidens represent everything good about being a woman: strong, kind, compassionate, nurturing, and powerful.  There are many Indigenous stories about how corn was brought to the people at a time when there was hunger, and how a sacred, sometimes other worldly, female being brought them corn.  Corn maidens come with a card detailing the meaning, the carver, and the material they are carved from.

Traditionally, Zuni carvings are symbolically fed cornmeal.   Each Zuni fetish comes in a box with a descriptive card and a tiny bit of corn meal to tide them over until they reach you.

This gracefully slender corn maiden was carved by Carl Etsate from antler.  It has inlaid jet and turquoise eyes, a catlinite mouth, and inlaid turquoise dots in the body.  The corn kernels are beautifully detailed, as is her long hair down her back.  More about corn maidens below.

Size: 3.75" H x .5" Diameter

Corn maidens represent everything good about being a woman: strong, kind, compassionate, nurturing, and powerful.  There are many Indigenous stories about how corn was brought to the people at a time when there was hunger, and how a sacred, sometimes other worldly, female being brought them corn.  Corn maidens come with a card detailing the meaning, the carver, and the material they are carved from.

Traditionally, Zuni carvings are symbolically fed cornmeal.   Each Zuni fetish comes in a box with a descriptive card and a tiny bit of corn meal to tide them over until they reach you.

She sways to the right and we can imagine her swaying to the left afterward as she happily views the baby corn plants.  Carl Etsate carved her from deer antler and carved a beautiful tablita.  Her eyes are inlaid jet and turquoise, and she has an inlaid catlinite mouth.  Her body is carved corn kernels and geometric patterns.  Her hair goes all the way down her body.  Isn't she lovely?

Size: 3" H x .875" L x .75" W

Corn maidens represent everything good about being a woman: strong, kind, compassionate, nurturing, and powerful.  There are many Indigenous stories about how corn was brought to the people at a time when there was hunger, and how a sacred, sometimes other worldly, female being brought them corn.  Corn maidens come with a card detailing the meaning, the carver, and the material they are carved from.

Traditionally, Zuni carvings are symbolically fed cornmeal.   Each Zuni fetish comes in a box with a descriptive card and a tiny bit of corn meal to tide them over until they reach you.

Carl Etsate carved this corn maiden from deer antler.  She has a beautifully detailed tablita on her head.  Her eyes are inlaid jet and turquoise eyes, and a catlinite dot mouth.  The corn kernels are well carved, as well as the geometric designs, and there are inlaid dots of turquoise, and catlinite.  Her engraved hair goes all the way from her head to the bottom on the back.

Size: 3.25" H x 1" L x .75" W

Corn maidens represent everything good about being a woman: strong, kind, compassionate, nurturing, and powerful.  There are many Indigenous stories about how corn was brought to the people at a time when there was hunger, and how a sacred, sometimes other worldly, female being brought them corn.  Corn maidens come with a card detailing the meaning, the carver, and the material they are carved from.

Traditionally, Zuni carvings are symbolically fed cornmeal.   Each Zuni fetish comes in a box with a descriptive card and a tiny bit of corn meal to tide them over until they reach you.