Hopi Salakotaka - Male Hopi Shalako Katsina Doll [SOLD]

The Hopi Salakotaka and Salakomana appear as a pair and they tower eight or more feet tall.  They are tall and slender and without arms.  They move in a graceful manner and dip as they move slowly.  They are referred to as sister and brother.  When dancing, they are always accompanied by Hahai-i-Wuhti and the Tukwinong Katsinas.  The male and female are distinguished by the color of their moccasins—turquoise for the male and white for the female.  Both male and female have a rainbow chin and multiple turquoise necklaces. 

This carving is a very good example of the male Shalako.  It probably dates to the 1980s period.

Condition: good condition

Provenance: from the collection of a family from Oregon to whom we sold this doll in 1983.

Reference and Recommended Reading: Kachinas: A Hopi Artist’s Documentary by Barton Wright with paintings by Cliff Bahnimptewa.  This book is currently not available from Adobe Gallery.