Manuel Denet Chavarria Kuwan Koyaala – Interpretation of a Carnegie Museum Katsina

This Kuwan Koyaala or Colorful Koyaala is by master carver, Manuel Denet Chavarria. As shown in photo 2, it is his interpretation of an early 20th century Kuwan Koyaala from the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh. Manny’s is 13 1/4″ tall including the cornhusk tassels. His figure is wearing a leather pouch around his neck. It is made in Manny’s distressed style. He is one of the artists featured in our book, “The Great Tradition of Hopi Katsina Carvers: 1880 to Present,” (Rio Nuevo, 2019).