Large Hopi Salakomana Katsina Basket Plaque by Pauline Quiyo [SOLD]

This plaque basket was made by Hopi artist Pauline Quiyo.  Its primary design element is a Salakomana Katsina, which is framed by a colorful rainbow.  Quiyo’s Katsina wears an elaborate mask that spins outward from the tightly-coiled center.  From the mask’s edges, a huge tableta emerges, covering much of the basket’s upper half.  The Katsina’s ceremonial garb and a pair of moccasins occupy the basket’s lower half.  Note the colors stitched into the moccasins and the intricate features included within the mask—this is remarkably detailed work that deserves a close study.

Baskets like this one are made of two primary materials.  Galleta grass is gathered, dried and bundled, creating what is known as the “warp” element.  Yucca leaves, which are treated using different methods to create different colors, are woven around these bundles.  These yucca leaves—the “weft” element—bind the bundles together and create the visible designs.  Every piece of material must be gathered during the right time and prepared carefully before making its way into the weaving process, which is itself arduous and difficult.  The resulting works are of the utmost significance to the Hopi people, and rightfully so.  They are beautiful, their creation takes countless hours, and they are made using plants from the reservation.  Baskets like this one are truly special artworks.

This basket is featured on page 67 (see below) of Gregory Schaaf’s American Indian Baskets 1: 1,500 Artist Biographies.  Photo by Allan Nelson.

Pauline Quiyo (Quayo) is a Hopi basketmaker who has been active since the 1970s. Gregory Schaaf’s American Indian Baskets 1: 1,500 Artist Biographies refers to Quiyo as a “master weaver.”  She is an Eagle Clan member.  Her preferred forms are plaques (“poota”) and bowls (“wukopotasivu”).

Condition: this Large Hopi Salakomana Katsina Basket Plaque by Pauline Quiyo is in excellent condition

Provenance: from the large collection of Allan Nelson, an avid Native American art collector.

Reference: Hopi Basket Weaving: Artistry in Natural Fibers, Helga Teiwes

Relative Links: Hopi Pueblo, Native American Baskets, Pauline Quiyo, Hopi Second Mesa Basket Maker