Believed to be made between 1930 and 1960, this beautiful black beaded umbilical cord fetish has the telltale slit on the back side where the umbilical cord of the child was inserted. This then made the fetish, the totem, or protector of the child for life. This fetish is very well done - tight individual beads, not lazy stitched. The mane and tail are made of real hair, most likely horse hair. The body of this horse/pony measures five inches from nose to hind quarters. From ear tip to hoof it is four inches tall.
I own three of these fetishes - one white, one cream, and this black one. They are my favorite pieces, however, everything I have is for sale for the right price. This beautiful piece can be purchased from me for $650. Modern lesser pieces of other animals made by Native Americans currently for sale on the net go for up to $350. I have found no modern pieces similar to this one.