Arvin Saufkie
Great Horned
Owl
13" H
with 1 1/2" base
"The Great Horned Owl
[Mongwa] is best noted for his incessant war on the clowns. As
the clowns follow their usual pattern of un-Hopi-like behaviour,
a single silent figure will drift into one corner of the plaza
and watch these uncouth fellows."
"When the clowns next
appear, growing ever more boisterous in their actions, the Owl
again appears and hoots solemnly. With each appearance he gets
closer until he ends up talking with the clown chief who promptly
blames all misbehaviour on the other clowns."
"But at the last performance,
the Owl is joined by other Warrior Kachinas. They leap upon the
clowns, douse them with water, beat them vigorously with willow
switches or yucca blades, and leave them howling with remorse
in a pile in the middle of the plaza."
- Barton Wright, Kachinas: a Hopi
Artist's Documentary (111)
Arvin Saufkie was born April
28th, 1977 at Tuba City.
His parents are Jenny Roy and Andrew Saufkie. His mother is of
the Coyote Clan and his father is from the Bear Clan. Murphy
comes from a family full of fine artists.
His mother’s family are
well known for their fine Kachinas. Her brothers are Coolidge,
David and Silas Roy. Andrew’s father is the famous Hopi
artist, Paul Saufkie.
Arvin has two other brothers who carve Kachinas. They are Murphy
and Ruben.
Arvin learned to carve by
watching his uncles carve. He says that he learned from Silas
Roy and that Silas gave him his first piece of wood. He use to
sand for Silas and began carving his own Kachinas in 1995.
Arvin says “You see a
little bit of my uncle’s dolls in my dolls.” Arvin
likes to try new things and his favorite Kachina doll to carve
is the eagle.
Arvin has carefully detailed
this piece, as you can see the etched evergreens and the flowing
sash and belt. His foot is raised in dance, as the bells seem
to jingle just below the knee. He looks on toward the valley
in supplication of the Great One. Every detail has been accounted
for.
