Hopi Hemis Katsina, circa 1930s [SOLD]

Very little style changes occurred in katsina doll carving between the 1920s and 1930s. Katsina dolls began to take on a little more “action” in their stance. This Hemis is leaning forward and to the left slightly, as if ready to take a step.

Paints remained commercial tempera, over an undercoating of Kaolin. Arms stayed attached to the body and hands remained undeveloped. Except for the attached feathers, the carvings were generally all wood, without fabric embellishments. The head of the doll was proportionally large to the body, an attempt to reflect the male dancers with enlarged masks on their heads.

Provenance: From the collections of Alice Tozer, then the collection of Arthur Summerfield, and finally the collection of Adobe Gallery.