The beautiful turquoise carving is a sea turtle, a somewhat unusual Zuni subject. Zuni carvers have branched out from the traditional local animals that Cushing mentions. Turtle itself is a very old symbol of Mother Earth which turtle carries on its back. Andrews mentions the sea turtle specifically, pointing out they have survived almost unchanged for over 200 million years. He uses the image of their graceful motion in the water to suggest that when the sea turtle appears it indicates that our progress in creative activity will become smoother.
Karen's fabulous beads worked perfectly with the greens in the turtle. Green turquoise, lapis and a bit of coral complete the composition. Won't you invite this little sea turtle into your life to smooth your way?