Walter Howato Mana Katsina Doll [SOLD]

Looking Back: The Traditional Revival Art of Walter Howato

Over the last century, Hopi Katsina carvings evolved from simple, flat wooden figures into intricate, anatomically precise sculptures. However, a handful of visionary artists, including the late Walter Howato (1921-2003) of First Mesa, chose to look backward rather than forward.

This "Mana" (Female) Katsina is a testament to Howato's philosophy. Large in scale yet simple in design, it captures the essence of the spirit rather than a photographic likeness. Howato purposely selected cottonwood root plagued with natural fissures and rubbed the paint to create a "faux-antique" finish. This was done to honor the dolls of his ancestors — sacred objects that cracked and faded as they were cherished over generations. This was the style he remembered in his mother's home.

Howato was an interesting man who made interesting carvings of katsinas and Hopi deities. His carvings are not always recognizable as a specific representation of a Hopi figure, but generally can be identified as likely who he was representing. It is our opinion that this carving represents one of the Hopi female katsinas such as Pahlikmana, Salakomana, or others. We refer to it as a Mana Katsina doll. It is large in scale and simple in design. The paint has been rubbed to provide a look of age. Cracks in the wood are throughout the back of the doll. It is likely that Walter selected  this wood because it had cracks.

Howato's life was as colorful as his art. After attending the Santa Fe Indian School in the 1930s, he moved to California, where he worked for Walt Disney Studios (representing Indigenous culture at Disneyland) and executed interior design work with the legendary R.C. Gorman. Later, he helped construct the Glen Canyon Dam. When he returned to carving in his forties, he put down modern power tools and picked up a pocketknife, dedicating his remaining years to the "Old Style" aesthetic seen in this remarkable carving.

What is a Katsina?

Condition: very good condition

Provenance: this Walter Howato Mana Katsina Doll is from a client of Adobe Gallery

Recommended Reading: The Great Tradition of Hopi Katsina Carvers 1880 to Present by Barry Walsh

TAGS: Hopi Pueblo, R.C. Gorman,  San Ildefonso Pueblo, Katsina dolls, Jimmy Koots, Romando Vigil, Tse Ye Mu, Manfred Susunkewa, Jimmy Kewanwytewa (Jimmy K)