Kevin Pochoema Cottonwood Root Kokopelli - Flute Player Katsina Doll

This exceptional carving of Kokopelli, the Hump-Backed Flute Player, by master Hopi artist Kevin Pochoema (1965-), captures one of the most widely recognized and enigmatic figures in Southwestern culture.

Kokopelli has captured the imagination more than almost any other Hopi Katsina. His image is ubiquitous, found in ancient petroglyphs and modern art across the Pueblo territories, among the Southern Athabascan groups (like the Apache and Navajo), and even hypothesized to have ties to Mexico and South America.

Beyond his widespread appearance, Kokopelli's complex symbolism includes being a seducer of girls, a bringer of babies (a fertility deity), and a tutelary spirit of hunting. His notoriously phallic nature reinforces his role in procreation and fertility.

Among the Hopi, he is considered a highly suitable subject for Katsina doll (tihu) carving. While he is associated with the flute, scholar Barton Wright notes that he is a "Flute Player only when he borrows a flute to dance," typically appearing in Mixed Katsina Dances or Night Dances despite his relatively minor role in the ceremonial cycle. This specific carving by Kevin Pochoema is appropriately titled a Flute Player Katsina and showcases the figure in a dynamic dance posture. The carving was constructed entirely of wood and finished using oil-based stains, allowing for rich color variation and depth. The figure displays the three-pointed phallic projections traditionally associated with his nose/snout. He holds a staff in his right hand and the defining flute in his left. He also carries a sun shield on his back, symbolizing protection or spiritual power. The carving is mounted on a pedestal into which cliff dwelling structures are carved, reinforcing the concept that the Flute Player is an ancient figure seen in prehistoric ruins and petroglyphs.

Kevin Pochoema, born in 1965, is an acclaimed contemporary carver of the Greasewood Clan from the Hopi village of Bacavi on Third Mesa. He is recognized as a top prizewinning carver, consistently receiving prestigious awards from major venues, including the Gallup Inter-tribal Indian Ceremonial, the Museum of Northern Arizona, and O'odham Tash. Judges at these competitions routinely recognize Pochoema's extraordinary concentration on detail, proper body proportions, the natural flow of clothing, and the preciseness of his painting, ensuring his dolls are considered some of the finest examples of contemporary Hopi carving.

What is a Katsina? 

Condition: very good condition

Provenance: this Kevin Pochoema Cottonwood Root Kokopelli - Flute Player Katsina Doll was purchased by the gallery from the artist in 2018, then sold to a client from whom we now have it back from his estate.

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

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