Hopi Pueblo Hon Katsina, Bear Kachina Doll by Otto Pentewa [SOLD]

Hopi Pueblo artist Otto Pentewa is a name any collector of Katsina dolls recognizes.  They may never have seen him or seen his signature on a Katsina doll, but they recognize his work at a glance.  He was born at the village of Oraibi on the Hopi Reservation at the end of the 19^th century.  He was of the Katsina Clan and his Hopi name was Sikovaya, which translates to Pumpkin Flower.

One of the distinguishing designs on his Katsina carvings is the pumpkin flower he generally painted on the loin cloth of the doll.  It was his signature. 

Shortly after the turn of the century, he married and moved to the village of Kykotsmovi where he and his wife raised eleven children.  His son, Richard Pentewa, continued in the tradition of carving Katsina dolls. 

This Hon Katsina doll is larger than most of his carvings.  It is embellished with fur, leather, shells and yarn, as were all of his carvings.

Condition: good condition considering its age, with some loss of hair, particularly on the face.

Provenance: this Hopi Pueblo Hon Katsina, Bear Kachina Doll by Otto Pentewa is from a gentleman in Albuquerque

Recommended Reading:  The Katsina Carvings of Otto Pentewa by Barry Walsh in American Indian Art Magazine.  Summer 2001.

Relative Links: Otto Pentewa, Hopi Katsina dolls, Hopi Pueblo