Koshari Clown Porcelain Kachina [SOLD]

Clowns appear in many familiar forms during Hopi ceremonies and dances. Koyemsi, Koshari, Piptuka, Tsuku and Kaisale are all names for clowns that have very different appearances. They all share the attribute of being essential to the dances however for clowns control, captivate, and reveal truths about the audience and their lives as Hopi through humor. In the great tradition of any group responsible for comic relief, the Koshari clown creates mirth as any jester or comedian might.

The clowns often come out when the kachinas are resting. Their antics maintain order by preventing people from running about and disturbing the dancers as they perform. The Koshari will instruct the audience as they entertain them. They will choose people at random and pull them into the plaza to perform impromptu dances of their own. Their humor can be caustic and revealing in a personal nature.

Sometimes clowns take on the appearance of members of other Indian tribes. The Navajo - the tribe that neighbors the Hopi villages - are often imitated. Tourists often find themselves mimicked by clowns who have been known to dress in stereotyped visitors' costumes.

Collectors of kachina dolls have long been familiar with clowns, although most clowns are not actually Kachinas - a Kachina being a Hopi man embodied with supernatural powers via his mask or “friend.” Most clowns are non-masked; however they are considered spiritual beings.

There are dozens of clown dolls, partly because Hopi carvers find them so much fun to make, but also because there are so many types performing an almost infinite number of routines worth recreating via a doll. Some collectors specialize exclusively in assembling this category of kachina doll and their collections reflect the evolution of modern day influence.

The Koshari is frequently although incorrectly referred to as the watermelon Kachina and often depicted as carrying or eating watermelon. This merely relates to the often glutinous antics of the clowns. It is also reflective of being quite thirsty from a hard days dancing on a very warm day at Hopi.

Whether in the form of a doll or the actual dancer, the Koshari clowns create an immediate response of humor in all those who see them. They are fun.
—Will Graven