Jon Cordero
Morning Kachina
21 1/2"
total height
The Early Morning Kachina
(Talavai) is also noted as the Silent Kachina, even though it
sings. It appears in pairs in the village, singing songs from
the rooftops, waking people in the early morning. During the
Bean Dance and other ceremonies it dances with other Kachinas
and stands to one side of the procession. Occasionally they sing
as they stand holding their spruce tree and ringing their bell.
The most distinguishing characteristic
of the Talavai Kachina is the Spruce tree he carries in his left
hand. He wears a blue case mask with rectangular black eyes.
He has red tab ears with small shell earrings. Cloud symbols
are on his cheeks and he has a red tubular mouth. He also wears
a Douglas Fir ruff and a large fan of black tipped feathers across
the top of the mask.
At the back of his mask is
a large grouping of small turkey feathers. Draped over his shoulders
is a ceremonial maiden's blanket, worn as a robe. He wears a
white embroidered kilt, embroidered sash and red embroidered
belt. There is a long fox skin hanging in back. He carries a
silver bell in his right hand and there is a Kato (bow guard)
on his left wrist and he wears red moccasins with ceremonial
ankle cuffs.
Born June 16, 1968 to the
village of Moenkopi, Arizona, Jon is the son of a Hopi mother,
and a Cochiti father who died when Jon was just a baby.
Although Jon was raised on
the Hopi Reservation, he would always spend a month each summer
with his Cochiti grandmother, the famed matriarch of storytellers,
Helen Cordero. His grandmother tried to teach him to make storytellers,
but it just wasn't his calling.
Instead, when he was in high
school, he learned to carve Kachina dolls from his uncles, Hopi
master carvers Loren Phillips and Tom Holmes. And Loren was not
only his teacher but also continued to encourage Jon in his carving
through the years.
Like the traditional Hopi
Jon continually strives to be, he works very hard all the time
tending to his cattle and his horse as well as planting and tending
his crops of corn, beans, melons and squash. And he participates
in the dances, in respect to the Kachinas.
Yet Jon always finds time
to do what he likes best, and that is to carve. Instead of carving
alone, Jon prefers the company of other carvers. His favorite
carving buddy has always been his cousin and clan brother Leonard
Selestewa, who was also always a great source of encouragement
for Jon. Among the many books on Hopi Kachinas that mention Jon
and his work is Theda Bassman's Hopi Kachina Dolls and their
carvers.
Jon says he is serious about
his carving and wants to carve for the rest of his life. Whenever
he finishes a carving he hopes it will find a good home, and
whoever buys it will admire it for the rest of their lives. Jon
has become well-known for his beautiful, realistic Kachina doll
carvings and his work has become highly sought after.
