Original Painting of Hemis Katsina [SOLD]

The Hemis Katsina is probably the most beautiful and best known of all Hopi Katsinas. His elaborate headdress, called a tableta, is partly responsible for his beauty. His body is painted with black corn smut. He wears a kilt, and around his waist is a Hopi embroidered rain sash. The tableta is painted with phallic and cloud symbols and capped with feathers.

This katsina appears in the Home Dance or Niman Ceremony. No other katsinas, neither clowns nor side dancers appear with the line of Hemis except the Hemis Manas.

It is interesting to note that at Hopi, they refer to the Hemis Katsina as having come from the Rio Grande Jemez Pueblo of New Mexico. At Jemez Pueblo, they refer to a similar dance as a Hopi dance.

This is an excellent example of Naha’s ability to paint the fine details of a Hopi Katsina. The tableta headdress is realistically rendered. The feathers coming off the tableta are rendered in a realistic manner. The tassels on the sash and the embroidery on the blouse and skirt have a realistic appearance.

Condition: The painting is in excellent condition; however, it has not been examined out of frame. It appears to be from the 1960s and in the original frame.

Provenance: From the personal collection of Frances Balcomb, owner of Balcomb’s Gallery, at one time located in Arizona, then Taos, Gallup, and Albuquerque, but closed since 1976.