Ohkay Owingeh (San Juan) Pueblo Eagle Dancer [SOLD]

“One of the outstanding features of the religion of the Pueblos is the intimate relationship of the people to all living things.  The life of man is in no way different or apart from the life of all other creatures.  Even rocks, clouds, sky and things which are by us considered inanimate are thought by the Indian to be possessed of life exactly the same as the life of the human being.  This relationship is constantly recognized, and the preservation of harmony with all things about him is one of the essentials of successful life with the Indian.”  Edgar Lee Hewitt

The Pueblo Indians of New Mexico regard the eagle as having direct intercourse with sky powers and intercedes for the Pueblo peoples for their desires or needs.  For this service, the Pueblo Indians of the Rio Grande Valley celebrate the eagle with Eagle Dances, a dance dramatization imitating every movement possible of these magnificent birds.  Two young men, costumed as eagles, perform this stringent dance.  They imitate the act of soaring over the fields, of perching on high places, of resting on the ground and going through various mating gestures.

This carving of an Eagle Dancer is an excellent rendition of such a dancer.  The arms are outstretched as eagle wings and they are adorned with feathers.  The body of the carving is completely rendered in black with the only decoration being a red and green sash around the waist that hangs down the right side of the dancer.  Carved wooden moccasins are painted white.  Colorful yarns are tied around the calves of the dancer.  The head is covered in white cotton and has the head of an eagle protruding forward.

Condition: very good condition overall.  The sash on the right side of the dancer has been broken and glued and the cotton on the head has worn thin in places.

Provenance: Originally purchased by Adobe Gallery in 1984 and retained in the gallery collection until 2002 at which time it was sold to the current owner.

Reference Material: Handbook of Indian Dances: New Mexico Pueblos by The Museum of New Mexico, 1952.  This book is currently not available from Adobe Gallery.