San Ildefonso Painting of a Snake Dancer [SOLD]

There was a time, 20 years ago, or so, when everyone was welcome to visit the Hopi Reservation and witness the Snake Dance that was celebrated every two years.  Now, the Snake Dance is closed to all but Native Americans.  Many Pueblo and Navajo visit Hopi during Snake Dance season so it is not unusual to see a Pueblo artist paint a Snake Dancer.

Abel Sanchez (1899-1971) Oqwa Pi - Kachina Stick probably visited Hopi during Snake Dance many years ago, and painted this image from memory of the visit.  It is quite likely that this was painted in the 1920s as it was painted on brown wrapping paper rather than artist paper that he is known to have used later in his career.

The frame is of the style of those on many of the Pueblo paintings that were displayed in La Fonda Hotel on the plaza at the end of the Santa Fe trail.  Most of those paintings were removed from the rooms in the mid-1950s during a remodeling phase.  They were eventually sold to the public.  It is quite possible, too, that this frame is a newer one that was made in the style of the old La Fonda frames.

Interestingly, Oqwa Pi painted the snake more in the style of an Avanyu, with lightning coming from its mouth, rather than as a real snake seen in the ceremony.  Otherwise, the remainder of the clothing and body paint are like those seen on a Snake Dancer.

Condition: appears to be in original condition

Provenance: from a family living in Corrales, New Mexico

Recommended Reading:  Through Their Eyes: Indian Painting in Santa Fe, 1918-1945