Native American Hopi Carved Crow Mother Katsina Sculpture

Description

Native American Hopi Carved Crow Mother Katsina Sculpture by Johnny Wester

Crow Mother (Angwusnasomtaka) Mother of the Whipper Katsinam and considered by many Hopi to be the Mother of all Katsinam. She is Crow Bride (Angwushahai-i) on Third Mesa probably because she comes dressed entirely in white. On the other Mesas she is Crow Mother. She appears during the Bean Dance (Powamuya) on all three Mesas. During the Powamuya, she supervises the initiation of the children into the Katsina Society and carries the yucca whips with which they are struck by the Hu Katsina. Later in the same ceremony, she leads other Katsinam into the village bearing in her arms a basket of corn kernels and bean sprouts to symbolically start the new growing season. This carving was created in 1995. Johnny created this simple piece with Crow Mother carrying the yucca whips for the initiation ceremony.