Hopi-Tewa Koshari Clown Seated and Holding Watermelon Slices [SOLD]

We cannot find any biographical information on Clarence Cleveland in any reference books on Hopi Katsina carvers.  He may be Hopi or Navajo.  His family name is typically a Navajo name, but his mother could have been Hopi which would make him Hopi according to matrilineal rules.  We will continue searching for information on him.

The first edition of Barton Wright’s book Clowns of the Hopi featured a clown like this one by Clarence Cleveland prominently on the cover of the book.  The reprint of the book no longer shows that image so perhaps Barton discovered that Cleveland was not Hopi or perhaps he changed images for other reasons.

He has been making these seated Clowns for at least two decades now as I recall seeing them in the 1980s and 1990s.  He has always made them in a seated position with legs hanging over the pedestal. Around his mouth is always covered with watermelon juice and he carries two slices of watermelon in his hands.  His carving and painting are exceptional and his clowns are always charming and funny.

Condition:  original condition

Provenance: from the estate of Tom Mittler, a former resident of Michigan and Santa Fe who purchased it in Taos in 1985

Recommended Reading: Hopi Kachina Dolls and their carvers by Theda Bassman