Jimmie Kewanwytewa Hoot’e Katsina

This is a beautifully done Hoot’e katsina by master carver, Jimmie Kewanwytewa, aka Jimmie K. This carving is painted with vibrant colors. It has a slight dab of blue paint on its right ring finger, indicating the katsina is wearing a turquoise ring. It is 11 1/4″ tall and 6 1/4″ wide. Both horns have unobtrusive repairs. The katsina is not signed but it is clearly Jimmie’s work. When we looked at 120 katsinam by Jimmie at the Museum of Northern Arizona (MNA) in Flagstaff, only about 40% were signed. Jimmie began working at the MNA in 1931 as a handyman, but quickly became a featured and very popular lecturer and demonstrator of katsina carving. He is said to have been the first to sign his katsinam with his initials, JK. This is a fine example of his work.