Tuvahoema was a student of Indian schools at Hopi Pueblo as well as in Santa Fe and Albuquerque. He was known for his depictions of katsinas that were “tall and lean, but with good detail and color in costume, mask, and paraphernalia.”(Southwest Indian Painting: A Changing Art, by Clara Lee Tanner). Modeling, or the use of shading to give depth, was not Tuvahoema’s strong suit, but his drafting was very precise.

Tuvahoema’s paintings were few; he contracted tuberculosis shortly after leaving school and spent much of his remaining life in sanatoriums in Arizona. He passed away in 1942 at the young age of 28. Most of his paintings were done in the late 1930s.

According to Barton Wright, “Tunei-nili is a Navajo-derived kachina. He is the individual who looks after the Navajo or Tasap Kachinas and is usually called a side dancer for them. However, he may not always appear with the Tasap. He was inspired by the Navajo Rain Gods, the Tone-nili, who appear on the sixth day of the Navajo Yeibichai Ceremony. The name Tunei-nili Bitzai means ‘little wash’ or ‘little river grandfather.’ He sometimes appears with the Velvet Shirt Kachinas also.”

Condition: There is foxing of the background paper and a slight discoloration of the paper in the far right upper corner. Interestingly, the foxing does not appear on the katsina itself, only on the paper.

Provenance: From a family collection in Florida