Native American Hopi Carved Grandmother Katsina Doll

Description

Native American Hopi Carved Grandmother Katsina Doll by B. Koiya

The Grandmother Katsina (Hahay-i wu-uti) or Happy Mother shares with Crow Mother the title of Mother of all the Katsinam. Her husband is said to be Eototo and her children are the monsters, the Nataskas. She appears during the Bean Dance (Powamuya), the Serpent Ceremony and at Home Going (Niman). She speaks in a high voice and is very talkative. Flat carvings of the Grandmother Katsina are given to Hopi infants. As a young girl matures, she receives larger, more detailed forms of the various Katsinam. This carving is from a private collector and we are unfamiliar with the signature. I think it is abbreviated, if anyone knows who the carver is, please let me know.