Native American Hopi Carved Butterfly Maiden and Butterfly Boy Sculptures

Description

Native American Hopi Carved Butterfly Maiden and Butterfly Boy Sculptures by Kevin Quannie

Palhik Mana is a Butterfly Maiden, not a Katsina, but a woman dancer. Though at the dances the Butterfly Maiden is not masked or hooded, she usually appears this way when carved as a doll. Her tablita (headdress) carries traditional Hopi symbols. She generally appears in August, as that is when the butterflies appear. The Butterfly Boy appears at the Butterfly Dance with the maidens. The Butterfly Dance, a traditional social dance of the Hopi, is held in August after the gathering of the harvest and presentation of the Snake Dance. It is a thanksgiving dance for the harvest, chiefly for the corn crop and features dancing by young Hopi maidens wearing elaborate tablitas. This is a really spectacular carving by Kevin and is paired with the Butterfly Boy who appears at the Butterfly Dance with the maidens. Both of these sculptures are pristine and the detail in the paint and carvings is amazing. These larger sculptures were created as a pair and are more beautiful in person than I could ever photograph.