Introduction to Sunshine Studio
Ordering and Shipping Information
Painters Whose Work May be Available from Sunshine Studio
List of Zuni Fetish Carvers Whose Work Has Been Available
Direct Access to all Sunshine Studio Pages
Sunshine Studio posts new fetishes on an approximately monthly basis. We posted new fetishes on June 17 at http://www.sunshinestudio.com/browse22851.html. Our next new posting will be on July 15. You may access these new fetishes at http://www.sunshinestudio.com/browse23135.html after 9AM MDT on the morning of the posting.
Sunshine Studio New Posting Announcements: Normally, we send out an email announcement of the date and time of the new posting a week to ten days before the posting, with a reminder email sent the night before the new posting. If you would like to receive these email announcements, please use our email signup form and be sure that your spam filter is set to accept mail from sunshine@sunshinestudio.com, arch87506@sisna.com, and sunshine_studio@email.admail.net .
American Indian Jewelry Pages Updated: we have simplified our American Indian Jewelry pages. There is a new gateway page, all jewelry pages have a brighter, fresher look with improved, larger images. We now have closeup images of the fetishes on all our fetish necklaces. Check these out at http://www.sunshinestudio.com/American_Indian_Jewelry.html .
Sunshine Studio in Smithsonian Magazine: One of Sunshine Studio's recently sold fetishes was illustrated on page 79 of the April, 2007 issue of Smithsonian Magazine. It is part of a fine article entitled "The Zuni Way". If you have not seen the article, get this issue from your favorite bookseller before it is sold out.
New Fetish Pages Created: We created four new specialized pages for The Zuni Realists: Dan Quam and the Cheama Family, The Zuni Innovators (Jeff Tsalabutie, his half-brother Brian Hattie, Alonzo Esalio, Dee Edaakie, Travis Lasiloo, Herbert Him, Milton Honawa, Albert Eustace, Herbert Halate, Dion Terrazas, Bremette Epaloose, Eddington Hannaweeke, and Yancy Robert Halusewa), for the Leekya family, for the Quandelacy family, and we have written an explanatory introduction to the Maidens and Figurals page. You may enjoy these pages and learn something about the fetishes and the carvers in the process. More new pages are on their way.
New Fetish Posting: We had a new fetish posting on February 20, 2007. You may view our new posting at browse18750.html.
Holiday Greetings from Sunshine Studio: Karen Riley and I would like to wish Happy Holidays to you and your families in this festive season! We would also like to thank you for your patronage of Sunshine Studio during 2006 and past years.
Web Site Updated: We have created a fresh new look of the Sunshine Studio fetish pages for the 2006 Holidays. All our thumbnail images are larger and brighter. We have reorganized our fetish gateway page to refer to fewer, larger files. We have created a page of large bears, those over 3" long, a page for the fetishes, fetish necklaces, and fetish jars of Lena Boone and her family, a maidens and figurals page, and a page of Zuni Fetishes Purchased or Ordered by Challis Thiessen. More special pages will be upcoming soon.
New Face at Sunshine Studio - Lieta has moved on to the next stage of her life. Starting today, Karen Riley is the new voice of Sunshine Studio. We know that you are anxious to meet her. Karen will be answering our phone most of the times that you call starting today, 14 August, 2006.
New fetish posting - New fetishes were posted on our Fetish Page on September 10, 2003 and plan maintain the Sunshine Studio tradition into the future in Challis' memory!.
Ben Gorman - Ben Gorman has found a new job and is no longer doing silversmithing. We have preserved our illustrated story of Ben making jewelry on our Ben Gorman page.
New Shipping Policy: Effective November 4, 2001, the customer is responsible for loss or damage to all shipments that are sent uninsured at the request of the customer (including all Global Priority Mail shipments).
New Shipping Policy: Effective November 4, 2001, any lost or damaged shipment not reported to Sunshine Studio within 30 days of the order date is the responsibility of the customer.
A Google search of the Sunshine Studio web site can help you find the web page(s) containing art that interests you - but once having located something of interest, you may have to do a search of the web page by scrolling down or by using your browser's 'Find' function. Please phone us at 800-348-9273 for personal assistance in finding what you want.
Notice:Some sites are here because they contain related information, some because of reciprocal links, some because of general interest. No endorsement of sites, products, or content by Sunshine Studio or its owners, Challis and Arch Thiessen, is intended or implied.
Notice:Some sites are here because they contain related information, some because of reciprocal links, some because of general interest. No endorsement of sites, products, or content by Sunshine Studio or its owners, Challis and Arch Thiessen, is intended or implied.
On our Sunshine Studio web site, you will find antique and contemporary Native American arts and crafts, biographical sketches of American Indian artists, stories of real-life adventures on the Internet, our biographical sketches of Native American artists, an illustrated story of the construction of a Navajo inlay/overlay bracelet, and low prices. This small business has been on the Internet since 1995, and has been operated from our home in Santa Fe, New Mexico since 1975. Sunshine Studio is a full member of ATADA, Antique Tribal Arts Dealers Association, Inc.
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Some of our business is in special order American Indian Art obtained directly from the artist to the specifications of the customer. If you have something that you would like to order, please let us know. Note that this process takes a substantial amount of time, one to two months or more, as most well-known native American artists are quite busy.
We are Santa Fe Indian traders. We will buy, sell, trade, or appraise any American Indian art item within our range of expertise. We can handle Native American baskets, fetishes, jewelry, Kachinas, paintings, pottery, rugs, or other crafts. We deal in Southwest American Indian art. Plains Indian art, beadwork, and Northwest Coast Indian art, etc. are not in our range of expertise, although we have colleagues here in Santa Fe who can help you with these items. We are particularly interested in American Indian art and crafts made prior to 1950. We will be happy to make you an offer on Native American art and crafts produced before 1950. We will also consider newer original oils and watercolors, not prints. All newer pieces will be discussed on an item-by-item basis only.
Our standard shipping within the continental USA is now DHH Ground with shipping price of $8 per package for items under 1 lb total weight including packaging. We have access to all DHL classes of service, from Ground-Trak to Next-Day AM. We can still ship by Priority Mail or Express Mail if desired. The US Postal Service options are particularly attractive for shipments to Hawaii, Alaska, other US possessions, Canada, and other international destinations. We will negotiate the cost of shipping larger items, international shipments, or other classes of service on a case-by-case basis. Please inform us if you wish to use something other than our standard first class mail shipping.
If you have a collection or an estate of Southwest American Indian art that you wish to liquidate, we can help you. For a large enough collection of Native American art, we will be happy to travel to your location to appraise the collection and make you an offer. Please do not hesitate to call us if we can help you to sell your collection of American Indian art.
We generally have more Native American art and crafts items for sale than we can show on our WWW page. Please e-mail us sunshine@sunshinestudio.com or send snail mail to our Santa Fe, New Mexico address if you wish to request information about items not shown here. We will need some specific idea about the type of Native American art you want.
Our only catalog is our WWW page, more up-to-date than any paper catalog can be. You can easily print out a hard copy of anything on our web pages, both images and text, on your printer by using your browser's File/Print function. If you want a color copy, use your color printer. We are sorry, but the expense of printing and mailing our catalog precludes mailing out hard copies.
Note: We have chosen to be a home-based Internet American Indian Art business with substantially lower markup than retail stores. Our only catalog is our WWW page, more up-to-date than any paper catalog can be. We take advantage of our lower costs in our price structure, retail only. If you request a paper catalog, raw materials, or a wholesale price quote, we will not be not able to respond to your request. Our 800-348-9273 phone number is our home phone, so if you call during the middle of the night, you will wake us up. Thus we request that you call between 10 AM and 3 PM Mountain Time. Occasionally, we go on trips or vacations, which we do not announce in advance. We check our voice mail and e-mail daily when we are away, and will usually respond to your messages within 48 hours. Some of the merchandise show on our site is sold on consignment, mostly high end rugs, painting, or Pottery. We thank you in advance for your understanding on these matters.
Please let us know if there is some way in which we can help you with your American Indian art. We love the art as we are collectors ourselves and hope to share our enthusiasm with you. Do not hesitate to contact us for any reason.
Arch Thiessen
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Sunshine Studio |
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3180 Vista Sandia |
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Santa Fe, NM 87506 |
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phone: 505-984-3216 |
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new order line: 1-800-348-9273 |
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e-mail: sunshine@sunshinestudio.com |
NOTICE:we have received several e-mail messages from prospective customers whose return e-mail address does not work. This is frustrating for both of us. Please be sure to include your correct e-mail address in the text of your e-mail. Otherwise it may prove to be impossible for us to respond to you. If possible, include a phone number, a fax number, and/or an alternate e-mail address so that we can contact you even if there is a temporary problem with our server or yours. Thank you.
Note that most of the above paintings have been obtained on the "after market." Of the artists on this list, Sunshine studio serves as an agent only for Johnson Yazzi.
Bennie Ration
Bennie Ration is a Navajo Indian from the Canoncito Navajo Reservation in New Mexico. He was born on March 21, 1955 to Frances and John Ration. His father, a silversmith since childhood, taught Bennie the craft of silversmithing when Bennie was eleven years old. His father told him that no matter what happens in life, he would always have silversmithing to fall back on.
Bennie has always been a talented artist. After he graduated from high school he enrolled in a one year program at U. S. Silkscreen and Graphics School in Scottsdale, Arizona. Upon completion of the course he worked for three years as silkscreener and graphic designer. In 1978, Bennie did "fall back" on the art of silversmithing. Using the look and style that he developed as a graphic designer, Bennie began making beautiful three-dimensional figures in silver. His many wearable art designs include Zuni and Hopi Kachina figures, Southwestern animals, feathers, and Navajo inspired geometric patterns. Bennie also adorns many of his pieces with gem quality Turquoise stones, such as rare cabochons from the Kingman and Manassa mines. Some pieces (a Sunface Kachina, for example) have a removable head which can be worn as an independent pin or as a necklace with body attached. When asked how he comes up with his many designs, Bennie says, "I remember what I see and make pieces in my mind."
Bennie's work is considered museum-quality due to the excellence of the work and the caliber of the stones. Bennie Ration's work is not only beautiful to wear, it is highly valued art for curators and investors.
Sunshine Studio Policy on Inter-Tribal Marriages
of Zuni Fetish Carvers
Zuni husband and wife teams usually share in the work of carving fetishes. For example, one spouse may do the carving and the other may inlay the eyes, do the polishing, and/or tie on the bundles. Sometimes, one spouse may be from a different tribe, but both live and work in Zuni. Examples include Lynn Quam who is married to Jayne Quam (Navajo), and Milton Honawa (Hopi) who is married to a Zuni. It is Sunshine Studio policy to attribute the work to the Zuni tribe in such cases.
There is a problem in the event of separation and divorce. Fetishes produced by one spouse prior to the divorce should be attributed as Zuni. After the divorce, the tribal attribution depends on the circumstances. Sunshine Studio may not be fully aware of the existence of a divorce or of the circumstances. However, when we know, we will label such fetishes as Zuni*, with a link to this section, where we describe what we know of the situation.
You can see the difficulty of being precise. We take a generous approach, and call all of these artists' work Zuni until proven otherwise.
Sunshine Studio Winter Hours - We operate on a Monday to Saturday 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM schedule. We will answer e-mail and telephone voice mail outside these hours on an as possible basis. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Please reserve the items you want by e-mail, then contact us by phone at 1-505-984-3216 or 1-800-348-9273 to obtain your total cost including shipping and to provide your credit card information. We do not answer our phone during the first hour after a new posting - please make your selections by e-mail. You may use PayPal once you know your total cost. There is a voice mail at our phone, but please be patient - it is set to record only after approximately seven rings. We prefer that you call between 10 AM and 3 PM Mountain Time. Note that Mountain Time is 2 hours earlier than Eastern time, that is, if it is 8 AM in New York, then it is 6 AM in Santa Fe. If time is not of the essence, you may use US mail.
E-mail problems have been occurring more and more frequently lately. If you have trouble contacting us by e-mail, please feel free to phone us at 1-800-348-9273 or 505-984-3216.
Note: We have chosen to be a home-based Internet American Indian Art business with substantially lower markup than retail stores. Our only catalog is our WWW page, more up-to-date than any paper catalog can be. We take advantage of our lower costs in our price structure, retail only. If you request a paper catalog, raw materials, or a wholesale price quote, we will not be not able to respond to your request. Our 800-348-9273 phone number is our home phone, so if you call during the middle of the night, you will wake us up. Thus we request that youcall between 10 AM and 3 PM Mountain Time. Occasionally, we go on trips or vacations, which we do not announce in advance. We check our voice mail and e-mail daily when we are away, and will usually respond to your messages within 48 hours. Some of the merchandise show on our site is sold on consignment, mostly high end rugs, painting, or pottery. These items are noted with a "C" as part of the item number. If you are interested in one of these items, we will need to contact the consignor who may sell his items by conventional means. Thus we will need a few days to contact the consignor to answer your questions and to confirm that the item is still available for sale. We thank you in advance for your understanding on these matters.
Policy on Catalogs: Our only catalog is our WWW page, which is more accurate and more up-to-date than any paper catalog can be. You can easily print a copy using your browser's "print" function. If you want a color copy, use your color printer. We are sorry, but the expense of printing and mailing hard copies precludes mailing copies. Use your monitor to view your electronic copy.
Policy on Layaways: We will be happy to do layaways on most of the items for sale on our WWW pages. We request 1/3 down, and 1/3 each month for two additional months. We will not accept layaway plans with more than four payments or longer than three months. There is no additional charge for layaways, shipped only after payment in full. You will have ten days after receipt of your purchase to return the item for full refund. For some larger, low-margin items like paintings, pottery, and rugs, layaway is not possible. Please ask us about any item that you would like to lay away.
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Policy on Payments for Domestic Orders: We accept PayPal, American Express, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, Visa, money order, or check. If you wish to purchase by check and you have not done business with us before, we will wait until the check has cleared before shipping your purchase. You may also use PayPal to transfer funds to "sunshine@sunshinestudio.com" which is our PayPal ID. In most cases, your total cost will be the total of items purchased plus $8, the minimum shipping cost for small items.
Policy on Payment for International Orders: We have shipped many orders abroad. Because we live in a small town far from major centers of commerce, our banks are poorly prepared to handle foreign exchange. We have experienced unpredictable fees and poor currency conversion rates. The best way to handle foreign orders is with a credit card or PayPal. You, the customer, will be charged no extra fees and will receive a good exchange rate. You may telephone us at 800-348-9273 with your credit card information (our voice mail is password protected and is relatively safe). We need the card type, card number, expiration date, billing address, and name of buyer exactly as it is embossed on your card. Customs fees and duty for items shipped to an international address are the responsibility of the buyer. Effective on or after 10 November, 2001, the customer is responsible for loss or damage to all shipments that are sent uninsured at the request of the customer (including all Global Priority Mail shipments). Effective on or after 10 November, 2001, any lost or damaged shipment not reported to Sunshine Studio within 30 days of the order date is the responsibility of the customer.
Shipping: There is a $6 shipping and handling fee for most orders placed and shipped within the continental USA using our standard shipping method, First Class mail. Items over one pound in shipping weight will be charged additional shipping according to actual cost to us. Priority mail shipping of a single small book to a domestic address is possible for $5, but only if the actual weight of the item and shipping container is less than one pound. Typical delivery time of Priority Mail to the East Coast is three to five days despite recent advertising to the contrary. We have access to all classes of UPS and FedEx shipping, from Ground Trak to Next-Day Air with Morning Delivery. Please let us know if you want a class of service other than our standard, first class mail. Effective on or after 10 November, 2001, the customer is responsible for loss or damage to all shipments that are sent uninsured at the request of the customer (including all Global Priority Mail shipments). Effective on or after 10 November, 2001, any lost or damaged shipment not reported to Sunshine Studio within 30 days of the order date is the responsibility of the customer.
Shipping Paintings, Pottery and Kachinas and Other Large or Breakable Items: The minimum shipping and handling charge for Kachinas is $15, with additional fees for larger items. Pottery is shipped in "foam-in-place" packaging at a cost from $15-30 depending on size. Shipping of a typical painting by UPS GroundTrak, properly boxed by a professional packer, is $30-$100, depending on size. Shipping and handling charges for large items are billed at our cost.
Shipping to Alaska, Hawaii, and other US Territories: For Alaska, Hawaii, the Virgin Islands, and other US territories, we can use US Airmail, Express Mail,or Priority Mail at a minimum fee of $6 for Priority Mail, or $15 for Express Mail. The minimum shipping charge for UPS or FedEx 2nd day air to these addresses is $30. UPS charges and shipping for large items are billed at our cost.
Shipping to Canada: We can ship small parcels to Canada for $20 by Express Mail or $9 by Global Priority Mail. Typical delivery times are 5-10 days. UPS provides 4-day expedited service for $34 and up, depending on location. Shipping charges for larger items by Global Priority Mail, Express Mail, or UPS are charged at our cost. Duty for items shipped to Canadian addresses is the responsibility of the buyer.
International Shipping: For small items shipped to many international addresses, we can ship by US Global Priority Mail for $9 or US Express Mail for $20. Express Mail takes 7-10 days, with shorter times to European destinations and longer times to the Far East and Australia. If you wish 2nd day air service for a small parcel, we can ship by UPS for $40. Paintings and other large items must be handled on a case-by-case basis, minimum charge $100. Shipping charges for UPS and large items are billed at our cost. Customs fees and duty for items shipped to an international address are the responsibility of the buyer.
Policy on Returns: We will accept the return of any item for full refund within 10 days if returned in its original condition, no questions asked. We have an unconditional guarantee on the authenticity of our art. If at any time there is a question of authenticity verified by a suitably knowledgeable expert, the item may be returned for a full refund. Shipping and insurance charges are the responsibility of the customer.
Policy on Price Changes: We reserve the right to change our prices at any time. Please be sure to set up your browser to reload these pages each time you start a session if you want to see a current sales list and up-to-date prices. Some browsers default to a mode where they store the pages in a local disk cache and do not automatically refresh the data.
We want you to be happy with your purchase. Please do not hesitate to contact us if we can help you in any way.
If you wish to contact us, please use one of the means suggested below. We prefer that you call between 10 AM and 3 PM Mountain Time. Please remember the time difference: 8 hours earlier than Western Europe, 2 hours earlier than the East Coast, one hour later than California, and 8 hours later than Japan.
Arch Thiessen
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Sunshine Studio |
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3180 Vista Sandia |
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Santa Fe, NM 87506 |
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phone: 505-984-3216 |
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new order line: 1-800-348-9273 |
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e-mail: sunshine@sunshinestudio.com |
NOTICE:we have received several e-mail messages from prospective customers whose return e-mail address does not work. This is frustrating for both of us. Please be sure to include your correct e-mail address in the text of your e-mail. Otherwise it may prove to be impossible for us to respond to you. If possible, include a phone number, a fax number, and/or an alternate e-mail address so that we can contact you even if there is a temporary problem with our server or yours. Thank you.
A Google search of the Sunshine Studio web site can help you find the web page(s) containing art that interests you - but once having located something of interest, you may have to do a search of the web page by scrolling down or by using your browser's 'Find' function. Note that Google's database is not as up todate as ours, thus Google may find some items that have already been sold and will not find newly-posted items. If you wish, you may phone us at 800-348-9273 for personal assistance in finding what you want.
Special Orders: Customized Native American Art at an Attractive Price
Ordering Info: Buy, Sell, or Trade Native American Art and Crafts
e-mail: sunshine@sunshinestudio.com request more information or to provide feedbackSunshine Studio, a small home-based business located in 3180 Vista Sandia, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87506, has been in business since 1970, on the Internet since 1995, and is a member of ATADA, Antique Tribal Arts Dealers' Association, Inc. Buy, sell, or trade, you will be satisfied with any deal you make with us. Our Guarantee: We will accept the return of any item for full refund within 10 days if returned in its original condition, no questions asked. We have an unconditional guarantee on the authenticity of our art. If at any time there is a question of authenticity verified by a suitably knowledgeable expert, the item may be returned for a full refund. Shipping and insurance charges are the responsibility of the customer. For more information, check our Ordering and Shipping Information.
Click on images to see an enlarged version. If you do not see what you want, ask us or try a special order.
Click on any Link Below to Go to any Active Sunshine Studio Page
American Indian Jewelry | Christmas Folk Art | Cyber Life | Hopi Kachinas | Jewelry Books | Zuni Indian Jewelry | Zuni Jewelry | Jewelry | Earrings | Concho Belts | Crosses
Pueblo Paintings | Pueblo Pottery | Zuni Fetishes | Zuni Indian Fetishes | Zuni Fetish Books | Zuni Fetish Necklaces
Home Page | Links | Special Orders | What's New
E-mail problems have been occurring more and more frequently lately. If you have trouble contacting us by e-mail, please feel free to phone us at 1-800-348-9273 or 505-984-3216. Conversely, please be sure that your spam filter is set to accept messages from sunshine@sunshinestudio.com, arch87506@sisna.com, and Sunshine_Studio@email.admail.net . Please also provide us with a phone number that we may use to contact you in the event that e-mail does not work .
