$2,950.00
$3,300.00
Sale 10%Shipping calculated at checkout.
ca 2000-2010
17" H
Hand Carved from Cottonwood Root with Great Fine Carved Detail Holding a Bow and a Rattle
In Very Good Condition
Sam Kayquoptewa , a member of the Rabbit/Tobacco Clan, lives in the village of Hotevilla on Third Mesa on the Hopi Reservation.
He is from a family of talented siblings who are basket weavers and katsina doll carvers. He is an award winning carver, having won both the 2003 and 2004 Award of Excellence in Katsina Doll Carving, Southwest Indian Art Fair, Arizona State Museum, Phoenix, Arizona.
His work is in the collection of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, OK.
This Big Horn, or Ram kachina (Pang), is a great example of Sam's ability as a detailer. The horns, feathers, clothing (sash is particularly well done), jewelry and rattle have all been carefully carved, as well as the hands, and fingers. His posture and anatomy add an increased level of realism to the piece.
The Ram Kachina (also called Sheep Kachina or Bighorn Sheep Kachina) is a traditional Hopi katsina (kachina) figure. In Hopi culture, katsinam are spirit beings that represent aspects of the natural world, ancestors, and forces that bring rain, fertility, and balance to the people.
The Ram Kachina participates in dances, particularly during the winter and spring ceremonies (e.g., around Powamuya/Powamu or Bean Dance). It embodies the spirit of the bighorn sheep — symbolizing endurance, sure-footedness in rugged terrain, and the provision of meat and materials for the community. Like other animal katsinam, it helps teach respect for wildlife and the natural order.
