Early Native American Hopi Cottonwood Kachina

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DAY 2 : Pre-Columbian, Ethnographic & Fine Ar...

By Artemis Gallery

Dec 6, 2018

Set Reminder 2018-12-06 10:00:00 2018-12-06 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : DAY 2 : Pre-Columbian, Ethnographic & Fine Art https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/day-2-pre-columbian-ethnographic-fine-art-3699
Day 2 of an important 2-dy auction featuring ancient and ethnographic art from around the world. Today's sale will feature Pre-Columbian, Native American, African / Tribal, Ethnographic, Spanish Colonial, Fine Art, much more. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com

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• Lot Description
  Native American, Southwestern USA, Arizona or New Mexico, Hopi Peoples, ca. first half of the 20th century. A hand-carved and hand-painted polychrome katsina (kachina) figure, carved from cottonwood, with separately carved and attached hands, eyes, nose, ears, eyes, and clusters of feather plumes on the head. The body is adorned with a running diamond pattern painted in blue, pink, black, and green - each diamond housing a white cross. Around the neck is a collar made of natural fiber and cord. Angular patterns in blue, white, pink and white adorn the kachina doll's visage as well. Size: 23.25" H (59.1 cm)
  
  Kachina dolls are traditionally carved from the roots of cottonwood trees - like this example. Cottonwood trees were once abundant on and in the vicinity of the Hopi lands. "Paako" is the Hopi word for cottonwood root. It literally means water wood. The Hopi chose it, because the cottonwood root's ability to seek and find abundant water resonates with the ability of the katsinam to do this same task for the Hopi people.
  
  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), made of cottonwood root, were 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, like 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 Denver, Colorado USA collection
  
  All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
  
  A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
  
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  #141252

  Condition

  One of the feather extensions is made of balsa wood and was added later; it has a small loss to a tip. Normal surface wear with scratches, stains, and pigment fading/loss commensurate with age. Some expected age cracks.
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