The Richard C. Noren (1941-1989) Collection is a group of small Zuni fetishes. The fetishes were made by members of the Quam family (specifically Eldred, Andrew and Fay), a prolific group of artists from New Mexico. The fetishes are small sculptures that are believed to hold spirits that grant boons upon those who worship them. These objects of contemporary Southwestern Native art were made sometime in the 1970s. They were acquired by Woodstock’s Superior Court Judge Richard C. Noren, a prominent member of the local historical society. Sadly, Judge Noren committed suicide on February 5, 1989 following a local scandal. His collection was donated that year to the Connecticut State Museum of Natural History.
