The Left Handed Kachina is
said by some to be derived from the Hualapai Nation, but other
Hopi attribute them to the Chemehuevi. He is called left handed
because his gear is reversed.
To draw an arrow from the
quiver he must use his right hand rather than his left as is
normal. The Kachina moves with strange bobbing and little choppy
steps. Despite his odd behavior, he is an excellent hunter.
"He is a favorite subject
for the carving of kachina dolls or the paiting of pictures,"
records Barton Wright. Incidentally, Lowell happens to be left-handed
and has adopted the Left-handed kachina as his mascot.
The Left-handed kachina, Suy-ang-e-vif,
may act as a prompter in a dance or be found making odd little
bows and taking small mincing steps at the edge of a procession.
A great deal of the time he
has trouble with the Ho'-e when they appear in the same dance.
[When together], one of the usual pair keeps up a steady step
while the other points to evidence of [game] they are obviously
hunting.
- Barton Wright, Kachinas: a Hopi
Artist's Documentary (32)
Lean Monongye is a young carver,
probably in his early thirties, from Third Mesa.
His work is very distinct,
and he is well known for his smooth finish and fine detail. Generally
Lean tries to incorporate additional details into the base of
each doll.
He is one of my personal favorites,
and I have yet to see a kachina by Lean that I wouldn't like
to have in my own personal collection. I feel that his work is
upper-middle tier and still represents a good value as an artist
with a lot of potential.
Along with being one of Lean's
largest carvings, this piece features an interesting base where
two deer and a bighorn sheep are portrayed as the subjects of
the hunt.
We were very pleased with
this piece and impressed with its quality and size for the price.
