Blue-Faced Tawaquaptewa Carving – Sold

This is a charming little carving by the old Kikmongwi or religious leader of the Hopi village of Orayvi, Wilson Tawaquaptewa (1873-1960). I would date it to the 1940s. The figure is 7″ tall with the professional base adding 1/2″. When I purchased this, it was missing its left ear, which I had professionally restored. It is impossible to tell which is the original. Tawaquaptewa was unique in the history of Hopi katsina carving because he never did an accurate carving. He deliberately distorted all his work because of his religious conviction that accurate representations should not be sold. The face of this carving in some ways resembles a Hehey’a katsina but the facial markings and ears are deliberately different, as is the body paint. More info, see my numerous publications on his work as referenced in the publication section of this website.