Clark Tenakhongva
Mudhead
13" total
height
"Koyemsi or Mud-head
Kachinas are probably the most well known of all the Hopi kachinas.
They appear in almost every Hopi ceremony as clowns, interocutors,
announcers of dances, drummers, and many other roles.
"The nearly always accompany
other kachinas; probably the only time when they do not appear
with other personages is during the Night Dances.
"Koyemsi are usually
the ones that play games with the audiences to the accompaniment
of rollicking tunes. These games are generally guessing games,
or simple attempts to balance objects or performances of some
common act. They most closely resemble our parlor games and the
rewards are prizes of food or clothing."
- Barton Wright, Kachinas: a Hopi
Artist's Documentary (238)
Clark Tenakhongva was born
in 1956 and comes from a long line of accomplished Hopi carvers.
Clark, along with other young carvers have rekindled the traditional
style of Hopi doll carving, like their Grandparents who were
actively carving in the early 1900's. These dolls closely resemble
those dolls made at the turn of the century.
The early traditional style
Kachinas have bodies that are carved to approximate human proportions.
For example, the arms are usually at right angles and are pressed
against the body. A static kilt and sash resemble the lower part
of the body and the legs are usually short. The head however,
is carved and painted correctly to identify each specific Kachina.
These dolls exhibits a pronounced spirituality because of their
strong stylization and abstractness. For Clark, his Kachina carving
is less of an art form and more of a religious act.
