Hopi Pueblo Black Bear Katsina Doll [SOLD]

Logan Dallas was active from the 1920s to the 1990s carving and painting.  He was born before the "Split" at Old Oraibi Village. He began carving Katsina dolls in the 1920s. Later, he took up oil painting on canvas. His themes mostly were scenes of Katsinam and ceremonies in the village. He influenced younger painters and carvers, including Cliff Bahnimptewa, also from Oraibi. Logan also painted some Katsina dolls using oil paints. He was still actively painting in the 1970s. He spent most of the last years of his life at the village of Moenkopi, living at his daughter's house. He passed away in early 1990s at age 90 or so.

This katsina doll is a Black Bear, known by the Hopi as Hon Katsina.  This Katsina is of such great strength that he can cure the sick.  He appears in the Soyal Ceremony at First Mesa.  He also may appear in the Palölökong Dance as well as in the Mixed Katsina Dance.

The carving is of the older style, a style of the older carvers such as Logan Dallas.  Although this one was carved in the mid-1950s or a little later, it reflects the style that Dallas was used to carving from his early start in the 1920s.  The oversize arms and beefy body are typical of his style.  The doll wears a fur headdress that identifies him as a black bear.  The long snout has teeth and a tongue.  Although meant to look ferocious, he actually looks less so, perhaps he is presented in his healing phase.

Condition: very good condition

Provenance: from the collection of a family from Oregon to whom we sold this doll in 2004

Recommended Reading:  Kachinas: A Hopi Artists Documentary by Barton Wright with original paintings by Hopi artist Cliff Bahnimptewa