Tawaquaptewa Carving with Exaggerated Feather Ears

I’ve written repeatedly that the old Orayvi Kikmongwi or Village Chief, Wilson Tawaquaptewa (1873-1960), never made an accurate katsina because of his religious conviction that faithful portrayals should not be sold. Instead, he either “made up” or “mixed up” his figures. This is a “made up” example which in no way resembles an actual Hopi katsina, given its jailhouse stripes and exaggerated feathers. I consulted a restoration specialist and he deemed these feathers to be original. The katsina is 9 1/2” tall including the professional base. See my book, “The Great Tradition of Hopi Katsina Carvers,” Rio Nuevo, 2019.