A Zuni silver and fetish ashtray

Attributed to Leekya Deyuse, Zuni, (1889-1966), a small, scalloped silver bowl centering a branch coral handle/cigarette rest and an offset bird fetish, flanked with two additional bird fetishes on raised silver mounts.
height 2 3/8in, width 3 1/8in; gross weight approximately 38.2 g

Provenance
Per the artist's notes, purchased at White Water Trading Post, Van der Wagen, NM, 1950

Literature
See Slaney, Deborah C., Leekya, Master Carver of Zuni Pueblo, Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, NM, 2018, p. 82, pl. 45a and 45b, two silver paperweights with carved stone bird fetishes. The execution of the stamped silver plates and the birds bear a striking resemblance to those in the present lot. See also ibid., p. 112, pl. 71a for a similar ashtray made by Leekya in collaboration with Greg Lewis (Acoma/Laguna)

The collection comprising lots 33-55 was assembled between 1940-1975, beginning when the original collectors moved from Canada to the American Southwest to assist with the war effort in armaments and aircraft design. They were prolific travelers, both for business and pleasure, and always made a point of visiting the reservations to spend time with the local craftsmen and view their wares. Dubbed the "Oasis Collection" by the original collector, the name honors the beauty of the arid landscapes surrounding the Four Corners, with the rich blues of the turquoise akin to the waters of an oasis. Having been passed down through the family, this collection brings to market for the first time an impressive array of works by the renowned Zuni carver Leekya Deyuse, many of which were acquired directly from the artist or through the trading posts that first introduced his distinctive style to the world at large. The Oasis Collection represents what is likely the largest concentration of unknown works by Leekya and other Zuni and Navajo artisans of the era to come to auction since the legendary C.G. Wallace Collection first set records for such artworks in 1975.