Edna Leki — Zuni Fetish Carver
A carved bird-fetish necklace by Edna Leki, photographed in the T.Skies gallery. © Turquoise Skies Inc.
Zuni · fetish carver · documented in the T.Skies collection
About the work
The pieces shown here are the work of Edna Leki, a Zuni artist, photographed from necklaces in the T.Skies gallery. Each is a multi-strand fetish necklace — rows of small birds hand-carved from turquoise, coral, jet, spiny oyster and shell, strung on fine shell heishi.
Edna Leki works as a carver, so her pieces are identified by their carving and by the gallery's firsthand record rather than by a stamped hallmark.
Additional biographical details are not yet confirmed for this entry.
More of her work
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References
- T.Skies Native American art collection — pieces documented firsthand in the T.Skies gallery.
- 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. Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 2003.
From the Library: Schaaf, American Indian Jewelry I (2003)
2003 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 2003, not today.
Schaaf (2003, p. 160) named Edna W. Leki as the mother of the Zuni fetish-necklace makers Dinah Gasper and Lena Boone. [1]
Schaaf (2003) entered her as
“Edna W. Leki (Zuni, active ca. 1950-present: fetish necklaces, fetishes)”
— Schaaf (2003), p. 214 [1]
Schaaf (2003, p. 214) recorded Edna Leki as born about 1930 and living at Zuni Pueblo as of 2003, a daughter of Teddy Weahkee and the mother of Dinah Gasper and Lena Boone, with bears, birds and turtles as favorite designs. [1]
Schaaf (2003, p. 310) named Edna Leki as the sister of the Zuni fetish-necklace maker Mary Tsikewa, a daughter of Teddy Weahkee. [1]
Schaaf (2003, p. 321) named the Zuni inlay artist and carver Teddy Weahkee (about 1890 to 1965) as the father of Edna Weahkee Leki and her sister Mary Weahkee Tsikewa. [1]
This profile is maintained in support of Native American artists and compiled from firsthand gallery records and published references. See something inaccurate, or want to add to it? Contact us.