LOT John D Kennedy  /  Zuni and Navajo Fetishes  / 

3A

Amber beads carved by Ron Upshaw.

Currency:USD Category:American Indian Art / Art - Carvings Start Price:1,000.00 USD Estimated At:NA
Amber beads carved by Ron Upshaw.
We will ship FEDEX or USPS.
Ron Upshaw was one of brothers of the well-known fetish carvers. The brothers, under the guidance of their dad, Frank Turpen and his trading partner, Stan Bartos, became accomplished carvers along with the help of their surrogate brother, Johnny Sheyka. They revolutionized the fetish business in the 80s with their abilities to create and adapt to carving. They learned to carve in the 70s. Ron was a large boy of 350+ pounds. His hands were like small hams, but he could carve the most delicate figures such as these hummingbirds while they were seemingly lost in the folds of his large fingers. Ron would frequently take breaks from his regular carving and work on specialty items such as these beads. This necklace took him nearly a year to complete as he carved the graduated beads. Once done, his mother, Eva Turpen, and sister, Tanya Turpen strung the necklace. The boys frequently cut their fingers while carving. They would stop and fill a cut with SuperGlus and continue carving. Ron had the ability to carve with amber which is fossilized tree pitch found in the Bering Sea. It is difficult because the friction of a high speed grander can melt amber. Once carved, he also had to drill each piece for stringing. There were numerous opportunities for failure from melting and breaking and cost of amber is high. Ron passed away in his early 30s.
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