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Katsina doll
Arizona
Sio Hemis Katsina – New Corn Katsina doll
Possibly the work of Hopi carver Jimmie (Kootshongsie) Koots (1915-1996)
Hopi, Arizona
Mid 20th century
Carved wood (cottonwood), pigments
Height: 6 ½ in. – 17 cm
Provenance
Ex collection Nancy R. Florsheim, Lake Forest, Illinois
Ex Bonhams, Native American Art, San Francisco, June 2016 lot 10
Ex collection Galerie Flak, Paris
Ex collection Didier Robin, Paris, acquired above
Sold
Kachina dolls (or katsinam) represent spirits or gods from the pantheon of the Pueblo peoples in the American Southwest. Given to children, kachina dolls constituted a teaching tool allowing them to familiarize themselves with the spiritual world and perpetuating knowledge of the founding myths on which their society was based.
This doll represents the New Corn kachina or Hemis Katsina.
In the Hopi pantheon, this Kachina spirit is particularly important. It represents ripening corn. It is a prayer for moisture and rain which will help corn shoots grow in the season. It is one of the most beautiful kachinas. Its many symbols are associated with the desire for rain.
The Hemis Kachina is most often used for the Niman or Home-Going Ceremony when the kachinas leave the Mesas for six months. It is one of the most appropriate kachinas for this farewell, as it is the first kachina to bring mature corn to the people, indicating that the corn crop is assured.
They style of the doll can be attributed to Jimmie Koots. A key Hopi figure, Jimmie Koots (full name James Kootshongsie) is one of the major artists who revived the Hopi tradition of Kachina carving in the mid-20th century.
His talent as a sculptor was particularly recognized in the 1960s and 1970s. Although Jimmie Koots' works are never signed, his style and the poetic humor that emanates from his Kachina figures make them highly identifiable.
A fierce and active advocate for the Hopi cause, especially in the face of industrial companies coveting the land's mineral wealth (coal, oil and uranium), Jimmie Koots spent the latter part of his life documenting Hopi history, heritage and ancestral rights at the request of Hopi tribal elders. His deep knowledge of the “Hopi way” and traditions has guided his life and fueled his inspiration and art.
From 1975 to 1990, he compiled and edited 44 articles on Hopi teachings and land rights.
This doll represents the New Corn kachina or Hemis Katsina.
In the Hopi pantheon, this Kachina spirit is particularly important. It represents ripening corn. It is a prayer for moisture and rain which will help corn shoots grow in the season. It is one of the most beautiful kachinas. Its many symbols are associated with the desire for rain.
The Hemis Kachina is most often used for the Niman or Home-Going Ceremony when the kachinas leave the Mesas for six months. It is one of the most appropriate kachinas for this farewell, as it is the first kachina to bring mature corn to the people, indicating that the corn crop is assured.
They style of the doll can be attributed to Jimmie Koots. A key Hopi figure, Jimmie Koots (full name James Kootshongsie) is one of the major artists who revived the Hopi tradition of Kachina carving in the mid-20th century.
His talent as a sculptor was particularly recognized in the 1960s and 1970s. Although Jimmie Koots' works are never signed, his style and the poetic humor that emanates from his Kachina figures make them highly identifiable.
A fierce and active advocate for the Hopi cause, especially in the face of industrial companies coveting the land's mineral wealth (coal, oil and uranium), Jimmie Koots spent the latter part of his life documenting Hopi history, heritage and ancestral rights at the request of Hopi tribal elders. His deep knowledge of the “Hopi way” and traditions has guided his life and fueled his inspiration and art.
From 1975 to 1990, he compiled and edited 44 articles on Hopi teachings and land rights.
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