Native American Hopi Carved Planting Katsina Doll

Description

Native American Hopi Carved Planting Katsina Doll by Brian Honyouti (1947-2016)

The Planting Katsina (Paski) carries his hoe and the corn in his hand. He is ready to plant his fields.

This is a wonderful older piece by Brian Honyouti. Brian was seriously involved in running a school for the children of his village of Bacavi. He founded the school, was the teacher, and was the principal. He was a strong advocate for education. He earned a bachelor's degree in anthropology from the University of Arizona in 1971. Brian started carving Katsina dolls in the 1960s after graduating from high school. According to Helga Teiwes, Brian was the first carver to use wood preservers and wood sealers as an undercoat for the carvings. She said he was also the first to substitute wood preserver for paint and to use oil paints in lieu of acrylic paints. These innovations provided a mellow tone to his carvings rather than the shiny gloss of acrylics. Brian was an outstanding carver whose pieces were as unique as he was.