Archives | Arizona
Katsina doll
Arizona
Tsakwaina, the Black Warrior Katsina doll
Hopi
Circa 1930s
Carved wood (cottonwood), pigments, fur
Height: 27 cm – 10 ¾ in.
Provenance
Collection Nancy Sue & Judson C. Ball, Arizona
Bonhams San Francisco, 14 May 2012 lot 1032
Private collection, California
Tsakwaina Katsina doll Judson Ball 20 cm / Galerie Flak
Price: on request
Katsina dolls (or Katsinam) represent spirits or gods from the pantheon of the Pueblo peoples in the American Southwest. Given to children, Katsina dolls constituted a pedagogical tool allowing them to familiarize themselves with the spiritual world and perpetuating knowledge of the founding myths on which their society was based.
This Katsina doll, known by the Hopi name Tsakwaina (or Chakwaina) is sometimes referred to as Esteban the Moor by the Hopi and their Pueblo neighbors. This nickname stems from a historical event that allegedly took place during the Spanish Conquista in the 1530s, at the onset of the search for the Seven Cities of Cibola, the legendary "Eldorado." Esteban, a Moorish slave, was sent as a scout for the Spanish army on a mission to prepare for the arrival of troops and ensure a steady supply of food and shelter.
However, Zuni oral history recounts a different story. According to this version, Esteban violated a sacred boundary by crossing a line of corn pollen at the entrance of the now-disappeared village of Hawikuh. As a result, Zuni warriors killed him. Nevertheless, they recognized in hindsight his bravery for daring to come alone and defy the entire village. To commemorate this event, the Zuni decided to include the figure of a Black-faced Warrior, known as Tsakwaina, in their Katsina pantheon. The Hopi later adopted this Katsina figure too. The tongue protruding from the character’s mouth (here in applied fur) is thought to symbolize the death of Esteban at the hands of the Zuni archers.
Regarding the Nancy Sue and Judson C. Ball Collection of Native American Art: the Balls began avidly collecting Hopi and Zuni Katsina dolls in the 1970s, though Judson Ball’s fascination had started much earlier, as a child in the 1950s, when he first visited a Hopi reservation. Over the years, he came to know notable carvers such as Wilson Tawaquaptewa and Jimmie Kewanwytewa. Their passion for Katsinam stemmed not only from their charm as artworks, but also from the way "they represent the continuum or circle of life."
This Katsina doll, known by the Hopi name Tsakwaina (or Chakwaina) is sometimes referred to as Esteban the Moor by the Hopi and their Pueblo neighbors. This nickname stems from a historical event that allegedly took place during the Spanish Conquista in the 1530s, at the onset of the search for the Seven Cities of Cibola, the legendary "Eldorado." Esteban, a Moorish slave, was sent as a scout for the Spanish army on a mission to prepare for the arrival of troops and ensure a steady supply of food and shelter.
However, Zuni oral history recounts a different story. According to this version, Esteban violated a sacred boundary by crossing a line of corn pollen at the entrance of the now-disappeared village of Hawikuh. As a result, Zuni warriors killed him. Nevertheless, they recognized in hindsight his bravery for daring to come alone and defy the entire village. To commemorate this event, the Zuni decided to include the figure of a Black-faced Warrior, known as Tsakwaina, in their Katsina pantheon. The Hopi later adopted this Katsina figure too. The tongue protruding from the character’s mouth (here in applied fur) is thought to symbolize the death of Esteban at the hands of the Zuni archers.
Regarding the Nancy Sue and Judson C. Ball Collection of Native American Art: the Balls began avidly collecting Hopi and Zuni Katsina dolls in the 1970s, though Judson Ball’s fascination had started much earlier, as a child in the 1950s, when he first visited a Hopi reservation. Over the years, he came to know notable carvers such as Wilson Tawaquaptewa and Jimmie Kewanwytewa. Their passion for Katsinam stemmed not only from their charm as artworks, but also from the way "they represent the continuum or circle of life."
Explore the entire collection
