Kevin Pochoema Soyoko Wuhti One-Piece Katsina Doll

This striking representation of the Syoko Wuhti Katsina is an exceptional carving by the acclaimed Hopi artist Kevin Pochoema.  It is signed on the base with his last name.

Demonstrating Pochoema's mastery, the doll was carved entirely from a single piece of cottonwood root, with only the basket on her back, the cleaver in her right hand, and the staff in her left possibly added separately. Carvers like Pochoema use fully dried cottonwood root, often cured for two to three years, a traditional technique that ensures the wood will not crack over time.

The Katsina is presented as an older woman captured mid-stride, leaning forward in a pose of active movement. The staff provides support for her walk, while the cleaver is raised in a distinctly threatening manner. Her hair is depicted as having blown across her face, adding to her fearsome appearance. Her color palette is appropriately dark and foreboding, with the only bright color being the yellow outlining of her eyes and the embroidered red strip on the edge of her manta.

Barton Wright describes the formidable Soyok Wuhti as "the awesome figure of the Monster Woman" who appears during the Powamu ceremony as one of the terrifying Soyoko figures. "Dressed all in black, with long straggling hair, staring eyes, and a wide-fanged mouth," she wields a blood-stained knife and a long, jangling crook, striking fear in the children who see her. With a haunting falsetto or dismal hoot of "Soyokó-u-u-u," she threatens to capture the children in her basket or, with a large knife, threatens their very lives. In some villages, she leads a procession of ogres, while in others, she remains at the side, content to intimidate with gestures alone.

What is a Katsina? 

Condition: this Kevin Pochoema Soyoko Wuhti One-Piece Katsina Doll is in excellent condition.

Provenance: sold to a client in 1997 and now have back from his estate.

Reference: Wright, Barton. Kachinas a Hopi Artist's Documentary, 1973. Northland Press.

TAGS: Hopi Pueblo,  Kachina - Katsina Doll, Kevin Pochoema