Ed Tewanema
Butterfly
Girl
16 3/4"
H incl. 1 3/4" base
This particular figure represents
the Butterfly Maiden as she appears during the social dances.
She is danced only by the unmarried girls of the village, and
typically is danced during the fall months, before the Kachina
cycle begins again.
She is similar to her Palhik
Mana kachina counter-part in that she wears an elaborate tableta
or headdress. However, she is NOT a kachina, and can be differentiated
by the fact that she does not wear a mask.
You can see here that she
is portrayed naturally with her female face.
Ed Tewanema is another talented
carver whose work is highly sought after and hard to come by.
We're fortunate to have only a handful of pieces by Ed, every
couple of years.
His recent return to the reservation
has given us the chance to visit with Ed more often. We hope
that we'll be able to bring more of Ed's exciting work to you.
Like many of his contemporaries,
Ed's work can only be found in the most exclusive galleries and
private collections. He is well known for being one of the "pioneers"
of the elaborate, one-piece, action-oriented carvings.
Ed's figures alway have flow
and motion in the details - whether it be a swaying turquoise
necklace of a dancer, or the messy hair of the Cold Bringing
Woman, Ed's work always has a sense of realism.
He is also known for the way
his figures "emerge" right out of the base, with the
feet and sashes not attached, but carved directly out of the
one piece of wood.