Cordell Naseyoma
Squirrel Kachina
8" total
height
"The Squirrel Kachina
appears on all three mesas but has two rather distinct forms.
The kachina shown [here] is very obviously a Second Mesa kachina
with feather ears.
"During the Kiva Dances
in winter he is supposed to challenge any woman to take from
him anything that she thinks worth having.
"However, he may appear
also at Powamu or in the plaza dances in large numbers."
- Wright, Barton. Kachinas: a Hopi
Artist's Documentary (112)
Cordell Naseyoma is from the
village of Hotevilla at Third Mesa and is a well known carver.
He has learned much of what he knows from watching his friend
and contemporary - Ed Seechoma.
You can immediately recognize
Ed's influence in everything from the style of the doll (it's
creation), and the painting (using the same natural pigments).
Ed endorses Cordell's carvings and feels that they are "almost
as nice as [his], but less money!" Ed always makes us smile.
Like Ed, Cordell's traditional
carvings are highly sought after for many reasons. He is also
one of the few carvers who adheres to the "old" methods
- using antique horseshoe files, all-natural pigments, and of
course hand-tying all his feathers.
To differentiate between Ed's
work and Cordell's just notice the legs - Ed's are bow legged,
while Cordell's are not.
