Neil David Painting of Palhikmana (Butterfly Maiden) Katsina [SOLD]

The composition centers on a Palhikmana (Butterfly Maiden) Katsina. Alongside her is a version of Alosaka off her right side and a yet-unidentified personage on her left side. These side individuals each carry ceremonial wands/staffs and rattles. At the base, stylized birds frame stylized arch motifs representing clouds or rain structures, lined with rain/seed dots.

Traditional studio-style Native painting usually sets flat, isolated figures against blank paper. Here, David employs a rich, flat geometric scaffolding that links the figures together. The bold outlines, symmetrical framing, graphic partitioning of color, and integration of architectural/symbolic elements into the background are hallmark traits that later defined the Artist Hopid collective's signature aesthetic.

In this painting, Neil David used a muted, earth-toned palette — terracottas, turquoise blues, ochres, and cream tones — reflecting both natural mineral pigments and the architectural atmosphere of First Mesa. This piece stands as a significant bridge between mid-century traditional Pueblo easel painting and the bold modernism of late 20th-century Hopi art.

The signature reads: N. DAVID '69 over TEWA-HOPI.

Neil David, Sr. is from First Mesa and explicitly identifies as Tewa-Hopi, descended from the Hopi-Tewa people who settled at First Mesa around 1700. Inscribing his cultural identity directly beneath his signature was a practice he used early on to declare pride in his heritage.

Condition: very good condition

Provenance: this Neil David Painting of Palhikmana (Butterfly Maiden) Katsina is from the collection of a client from California.

Recommended Reading and Reference: Broder, Patricia Janis. Hopi Painting: The World of the Hopis, Brandywine Press, New York. 1978

TAGS: Hopi Pueblo, Michael Kabotie, Terrance Talaswaima, Neil David, Sr., Native American Painting, Milland Lomakema