Bobby Talahytewa
Old Style
Hilili
15 1/2"
total height
The Hilili "is apparently
a kachina that has made its way from Acoma or Laguna by a process
of osmosis. In these pueblos he is known as Heleleka. By the
time he reached the Hopis prior to the turn of the century, his
name had changed to Hilili, 'from the call that he makes.'
"His first appearance
was among the Hopis of First Mesa and the other two mesas made
known their disapproval by calling this a witch or Powak Kachina.
However, his popularity as a guard kachina and admiration for
his rapid dance has increased.
"Now he is found on all
the mesas in a great variety of forms. He appears very frequently
in the Powamu and in the Night Dances."
- Barton Wright, Kachinas: a Hopi
Artist's Documentary (43)
This impressive Old Style
doll is the work of Hopi master carver Bobby Talahytewa. Bobby
comes from a family of very fine carvers. Bobby was born in Moenkopi.
He was introduced to Kachina-doll carving by his family while
he was growing up.
His father Stacy Talahytewa,
has carved dolls for sale for thirty years, providing all of
the family’s income from his work. Stacy carves arms and
legs separately, glues them to the body of the carved doll and
adorns the heads with chicken or turkey feathers. His dolls are
relatively small and are painted over the whole body.
Bobby’s mother, Louise,
is from Cochiti Pueblo in New Mexico, where women do not carve
Kachina dolls. All four brothers and 7 of Bobby’s 8 sisters
carve kachina dolls. Bobby and his brothers and sisters grew
up seeing their parents carve for an income, so it was natural
for Bobby to pick up the craft when he was in his teens and to
earn money from it.
Bobby’s contemporary
dolls are amazingly fine and usually out of one piece of wood.
He has an excellent style and finishes them with more detail
than most carvers. His carvings are very well proportioned and
finely executed and painted. Bobby also does an excellent job
of using motion in his carvings which is very difficult.
