Albenita Yunie — Zuni Fetish Carver
Albenita Yunie is a Zuni carver of fetishes, from the Quandelacy family. As of 2003, Gregory Schaaf's American Indian Jewelry I listed her as active in fetishes and fetish necklaces and named her teacher as her mother, Ellen Quam Quandelacy (Schaaf 2003, p. 337).
Schaaf names her brothers and sisters, among them Dickie, Andres and Sandra Quandelacy. Her materials ran from coral, turquoise and spiny oyster to jet, mother-of-pearl and clam shell heishi, and her favorite designs were bears, mountain lions and howling coyotes (Schaaf 2003, p. 337).
Sheila Tryk's Santa Fe Indian Market shows a Zuni "Grandmother's necklace" whose fetishes were made by different members of the Quandelacy family, Albenita and Bryan Yunie among them (Tryk 1993, p. 76). Paula A. Baxter's Encyclopedia of Native American Jewelry names her among the female jewelry makers who followed at Zuni (Baxter 2000, p. 193).
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References
- Schaaf, Gregory, with Angie Yan Schaaf. American Indian Jewelry I: 1,200 Artist Biographies, ca. 1800-present. American Indian Art Series, Vol. 5. Santa Fe: CIAC Press, 2003.
- Tryk, Sheila. Santa Fe Indian Market: Showcase of Native American Art. Photography by Mark Nohl; introduction by Allan Houser. Santa Fe, NM: Tierra Publications, in cooperation with SWAIA, 1993.
- Baxter, Paula A., with Allison Bird-Romero. Encyclopedia of Native American Jewelry: A Guide to History, People, and Terms. Phoenix: Oryx Press, 2000.
This profile is maintained in support of Native American silversmiths and compiled from published references. See something inaccurate, or want to add to it? Contact us.