Hopi Pueblo Lenang (Flute) Katsina Doll [SOLD]

A Mid-Century Lenang (Flute) Katsina

This extraordinary mid-20th-century carving presents a fascinating scholarly puzzle. Identified as a Lenang (Flute) Katsina, the figure is instantly recognizable by the flute held in its left hand and the paired flutes rising from its head.

A closer look, however, reveals a unique "identity shift" that links this figure to one of the most important ceremonies in the Hopi calendar.

Resolving Facial Discrepancies

When comparing this carving to standardized published examples, two distinct variations in facial features emerge. Rather than being "errors," these details tell a specific story about the katsina's role.

On a typical Lenang Katsina, there are diagonal marks on the cheeks, but on this carving the cheeks have red circles. On the Lenang Katsina, the mouth is triangular, and on this carving it is rectangular.

The Explanation

The resolution to this puzzle is found in the foundational texts of Hopi iconography. Harold S. Colton (p. 45) identifies the rectangular mouth as that of a Bean Katsina. Further, Barton Wright (p.36) notes that the Flute Katsina is "most closely associated in appearance and performance with the Powamu (Bean Dance) Katsina."

In essence, this carving represents a Flute Katsina specifically as he appears during the Bean Dance, blending the attributes of both spirits into a single, rare hybrid form.

The Elaborate Moisture Tablet

While the face tells a story of ceremony, the back of the carving displays the artist's virtuosity. This figure features a massive, striking moisture tablet — a traditional symbolic appendage worn by the Flute Katsina to invoke rain. It is a painted wood tablet that extends from the crown of the head to below the waist. It is fringed with vibrant red yarn, representing life and energy. A traditional fox tail hangs below the tablet, while delicate feathers are used as appendages on the head-flutes, adding movement and "breath" to the piece.

This is more than a katsina doll; it is a document of the fluidity within Hopi ceremonial life, where different spirits overlap to bring about the blessings of the harvest.

What is a Katsina? 

Condition: very good condition

Provenance: this Hopi Pueblo Lenang (Flute) Katsina Doll is from the collection of a client from California

References:

- Colton, Harold S. Hopi Kachina Dolls with a Key to their Identification

- Wright, Barton. Kachinas: a Hopi Artist's Documentary with original paintings by Cliff Bahnimptewa

TAGS: Katsina Dolls, Hopi Pueblo, Hopi Kachina Dolls