Hopi “Koyala” Katsina Doll in “Kilroy Was Here” Style [SOLD]

Hyram Namoki has been carving Katsina dolls since the mid-1970s and was taught the art of carving by his father and Neil David Sr. among others. Hyram was born in the Hopi First Mesa village of Polacca and is a member of the flute and deer clans. In 1987, he was awarded a 2^nd award in the miniature Katsina doll category at the Museum of Northern Arizona Hopi Show.

This carving of the Hopi-Tewa clown is rendered in the World War II style of "Kilroy was here" where he is peeking over a wall.  It was carved from a single piece of cottonwood root and painted with oil-based stains.  The back side of the clown is shown from the rear of the carving with the wall covering only the front side.

The detail achieved in the back of the carving is like a jewel that is concealed from the viewer.  It is only when turning around the carving that one appreciates the effort spent by the carver to portray the finest detail.

Condition:  original condition

Provenance: from the estate of Tom Mittler, a former resident of Michigan and Santa Fe who purchased it from Adobe Gallery in 1988.

Recommended Reading: Hopi Katsina: 1,600 Artist Biographies by Gregory Schaaf