Hopi, Arizona
Circa 1890
Cottonwood root, mineral pigments
Height 12 1/2" (31.8 cm)
Provenance: Dorothy Evans, Altadena, California
Aholi is one of the chief wuya katsinas of the Hopi Third Mesa tradition, closely associated with Eototo, the chief katsina of all villages, with whom he appears as a pair during the Powamuya, or Bean Dance ceremony held in late winter. He is the patron katsina of the Pikyas clan, the Young Corn clan, and his presence in ceremony is connected to rain, agricultural fertility, and the renewal of life at the beginning of the growing season. As a chief katsina, Aholi holds a specific ceremonial authority distinct from the more numerous katsinam that appear in plaza dances throughout the year.
Aholi is distinguished by his elaborate costume, tall headdress, and the long robe decorated with cloud and rain symbols that he wears during his ceremonial appearances. His association with Eototo reflects the paired ceremonial structure of Third Mesa practice, in which the two figures move together through the village during Powamuya, marking the houses and blessing the community with rain and fertility. The mineral pigment decoration on this figure is consistent with late 19th century Hopi katsina production, when figures were carved primarily for ceremonial use and gifting rather than the trade market.
This figure dates to circa 1890 and is carved from cottonwood root, the traditional material for all Hopi katsina figures, chosen for its lightness and workability. The Dorothy Evans provenance, from Altadena, California, places the figure within the category of early California private collections of Hopi material, a recognized collecting context for Southwest objects that entered non-indigenous hands in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chief katsinas of this period and condition, with documented early provenance, are encountered with decreasing frequency as examples from this era have moved into institutional collections.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Hopi, Arizona
Circa 1890
Cottonwood root, mineral pigments
Height 12 1/2" (31.8 cm)
Provenance: Dorothy Evans, Altadena, California
Aholi is one of the chief wuya katsinas of the Hopi Third Mesa tradition, closely associated with Eototo, the chief katsina of all villages, with whom he appears as a pair during the Powamuya, or Bean Dance ceremony held in late winter. He is the patron katsina of the Pikyas clan, the Young Corn clan, and his presence in ceremony is connected to rain, agricultural fertility, and the renewal of life at the beginning of the growing season. As a chief katsina, Aholi holds a specific ceremonial authority distinct from the more numerous katsinam that appear in plaza dances throughout the year.
Aholi is distinguished by his elaborate costume, tall headdress, and the long robe decorated with cloud and rain symbols that he wears during his ceremonial appearances. His association with Eototo reflects the paired ceremonial structure of Third Mesa practice, in which the two figures move together through the village during Powamuya, marking the houses and blessing the community with rain and fertility. The mineral pigment decoration on this figure is consistent with late 19th century Hopi katsina production, when figures were carved primarily for ceremonial use and gifting rather than the trade market.
This figure dates to circa 1890 and is carved from cottonwood root, the traditional material for all Hopi katsina figures, chosen for its lightness and workability. The Dorothy Evans provenance, from Altadena, California, places the figure within the category of early California private collections of Hopi material, a recognized collecting context for Southwest objects that entered non-indigenous hands in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chief katsinas of this period and condition, with documented early provenance, are encountered with decreasing frequency as examples from this era have moved into institutional collections.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
