Southwestern United States, ca. mid-20th to 21st century CE. A fascinating handmade pottery Koyemsi, the "Mudhead" kachina signed on the interior "C. Hanks / D. Esteban." The hollow cylindrical figure stands upright, the smooth body panel is molded as a shawl, a tassel of applied panels protrudes from where the hand was. At the top is the characteristic spherical head, round lips, raised eyes, balls around the brow and back of the head with feather inserts. The red pottery surface is flecked with a gray-blue pigment that symbolizes the applied mud to represent the first primordial lizard-like people that emerged from the earth, coming up through a portal or hole in the kiva dirt floor. This sculpture is stylistically similar to pieces made by the artist Elizabeth Abeyta "Nah-Glee-eh-Bah" (1955-2006). Size: 4" Diameter x 14.5" H (10.2 cm x 36.8 cm)

Provenance: ex-private Bishop Family Trust collection, the Trust of the late Bill Bishop, a noted antiquarian with shops in Scottsdale, Arizona and Allenspark, Colorado, USA, acquired before 2010

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#173251

Missing hand, the rest is intact. Signed on interior rim with previous collectors. Great condition.