Jonathan Day
Sr.
Palhik Mana
15 1/4"
total height
The Palhik Mana, or Butterfly
Maiden, is one of the most popular kachinas in the Hopi carvers'
repertoire. This beautifully dressed figure is not really a kachina,
but rather a woman's dance personage.
Women who appear in the Mamzrau
Initiation Dance are called the Palhik' Manas. They are never
masked except on Third Mesa, although they all appear to be when
carved as dolls. The carvings typically include an elaborate
tableta including butterfly and corn symbols.
Jonathan Day Sr. was born
in the Hopi village of Hotevilla, Arizona. He attended college
in California for a while before working as a carpenter. Jonathan
eventually decided to return home to the reservation.
He is married with three children.
In 1980 he started carving full time. He is known for his ability
to bring out the grain of the wood. Sculpture pose is the style
he likes to carve because that is the way the Kachinas look when
they are dancing.
The artist spends time looking
at the wood before carving to decide what Kachina would look
best and how it will look. He believes that the Kachina has a
soul and spirit when it is finished.
Jonathan is featured on pages
80-81 of Gregory Schaaf's publication, Hopi Katsina: 1,600 Artist
Biographies (CIAC American Indian Art Series, Volume Seven),
along with many examples of his works.
He is well known in the kachina
collector's market as a highly talented Hopi kachina carver.
He is the recipient of many prestigious awards.
In Schaaf's book, one reads:
"Jonathan Day is best
known for his sculptural style Katsina carvings. 'I like to carve
katsinas the way I see them, and I try to be as realistic as
I can. Sometimes I sit for a couple of hours thinking about what
I am going to make, what kind of stance I want the doll to have,
where I saw the Katsina last, and what it was doing in the dance.
I have a spiritual feeling
for the dolls as I am carving ... I expect the Katsina dolls
to come out nice ... The dolls today are a different form of
art rather than the traditional Hopi carved doll."
