Hopi Koyemsi (Mudhead) Puppet Katsina Doll [SOLD]

According to Barton Wright “An early minor fad which has reappeared cyclically is the jumping doll.  A Hopi clown or other kachina is carved and jointed in the manner of a puppet and then strung on crossed strings like a common European jumping toy. When the strings are pulled apart and relaxed the doll leaps and cavorts about.  The first individual to produce this type of doll among the Hopi appears to have been a First Mesa man named Ben Seeni.  At least no earlier examples have so far been documented. However, interest in the doll fades rapidly but it is then re-discovered within a few years and again enjoys a brief flurry of popularity.”

From what we have been able to determine, based on information from several Katsina doll experts, is that Henry Seeni made these puppet dolls in the mid 1900s. The Hopi elders objected to his making toys out of Katsina images, so he apparently ceased making them.

We are aware of several of his puppets appearing published in a book, and one has been identified in the Denver Art Museum (#1949.3666). It appears that this one was accessioned in 1949, a good indication of when the artist was producing them.

Condition: very good condition

Provenance: from the estate of Tom Mittler, a former resident of Michigan and Santa Fe

Referenced Publication:  Hopi Kachinas: The Complete Guide to Collecting Kachina Dolls by Barton Wright.