Native American, Southwestern USA, Hopi people, ca. mid 20th century CE, by Walter Howato (1921-2003). A fascinating wood kachina doll, painted in the style pioneered by Howato and described below. The doll stands slightly forward, bent at the waist, with a relatively large head with wide ears and a face that seems to show fright. Lightning-bolt-like motifs are on the nose and cheeks. The hands clench together at the waist, over a black loincloth. The body is pink, with dark pink abstract motifs painted on the legs and shoulders. Size: 4" W x 13.65" H (10.2 cm x 34.7 cm)

Walter Howato was a Hopi artist from the First Mesa village of Sitcom'ovi, a member of the Reed Clan who carved actively from the 1940s until his death in 2003. He also worked for Walt Disney in Los Angeles and helped build the Glen Canyon Dam. He experimented with many combinations of paints to match the older style of katsina dolls he remembered from his childhood, and mixed his pigments with a white clay called tumma. He built up multiple layers of paint over clay, creating an aged appearance in his dolls.

Provenance: private S. S. collection, Los Angeles, California, USA

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#136829

Light wear to pigment commensurate with age.