Lot 51
Native American, Southwestern USA, Arizona and New Mexico, Hopi Peoples, ca. 1950s CE. A hand-carved and hand-painted wooden Heheya Kachina (Katsina) doll. Most often seen on the Third Mesa, Heheya kachinas act as the messengers to the rain gods. This Heheya Kachina's turquoise mask represents the color of the West. He wears a characteristic black and white ruff, red tab ears, and feathers atop his headdress. His costume and boots are quite colorful. We especially admire his painted necklace and belt. Size: 4.55" W x 12.6" H (11.6 cm x 32 cm)
The Katsinam, supernatural beings who live in the high mountains of the San Francisco Peaks above traditional Hopi territory, speak to the Hopi through costumed dance and song. These dancers emerge from the round ceremonial kivas that are at the center of their communities, singly or in groups, and dance to the music of drums, rattles, and song. Katsina figures (katsina dolls, katsin-tihu), traditionally made of cottonwood root, are created to represent them. Cottonwood is culturally symbolic because the cottonwood tree, once abundant in traditional Hopi lands, grows where water flows - thus, looking across a landscape, lines of cottonwood trees denote a water source in the desert. After carving, the figures are painted all over with whitewash, made from kaolin clay, and then painted in brilliant colors. Originally these were done using yucca brushes. Many of them are then decorated with other materials, such as feathers, cloth, or fur. Katsina dolls are often given objects to hold which indicate their roles. Kachina dolls are not toys, but are given to young girls, representations of benevolent spirit beings.
Provenance: ex-private Ventura County, California, USA collection
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#153941
- Condition: Minute loss from tail. Missing the object(s) once held in the hands. Headdress is slightly shifted/with some small losses. Otherwise in very nice condition with light deposits on surface.
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