Right now, your shopping cart is empty. Please continue browsing!
The Grizzly Claw Necklace by artist Zhou S. Liang
The Grizzly Claw Necklace by Z.S. Liang available from Prickly Pear Galleries.
The Great Plains grizzly bear has been extinct for over 100 years but when this species was abundant, a grizzly claw necklace was a coveted goal and prized possession. The wearer was regarded as brave and as one who possessed great medicine. The number of claws signified the number of grizzly bears a hunter had confronted. Only the front claws were used so twenty claws meant the wearer had met with at least two grizzlies, no small feat since the grizzly could take a bullet (or two!) and still keep charging. Of course a necklace could also be won in battle, as the reward for killing an enemy who wore it.
The claws would be mounted on a core which was then covered in otter fur. When Plains grizzlies became rare, necklaces were made from Rocky Mountain grizzlies or the claws would be carved from elk antler, a painstaking and exacting process that earned nearly as much respect as trophy claws from a bear killing.
Released June 2011
In stock
Customer Reviews
