Hopi Second Mesa Pictorial Basket of Kachinmana Katsina [SOLD]

Coiled basketry of this type has been made exclusively in Second Mesa villages on the Hopi Reservation for over 500 years. It is an extremely difficult and time-consuming process. The foundation of the basket is galleta grass and the weft material is yucca leaf. Gathering the materials is spread out over the period of almost a year. The yucca leaves must be gathered at different times of the year to achieve the three natural colors of white, green and yellow that is used in most baskets. Dye is only used for achieving the deep red and black.

This flat plaque features a beautifully executed image of a Kachinmana Katsina as the design. Designing and executing such a complex design is not an easy task.  The black outlined area at the top is a feather and the two black protrusions on the sides represent a maiden whorl hair style.  The red semicircle is the red horsehair that covers the upper portion of the katsina face and the two black horizontal sections represent the eyes.  The remainder of the design below the circle of the face represents the body of the katsina with appropriate clothing.

Condition: The plaque is in excellent condition with no apparent fading of color and no loss of stitches.

Provenance: estate of former Albuquerque collector