Pueblo Village Scene with Eagle Dancers and Drummers [SOLD]

Pueblo dances are a lure for visitors to the Southwest. One must remember that these are not performed to entertain the visitors.  They are performed because they are a part of a religious ceremony. The Pueblo Indian feels he is an important part of nature and the universe and that he must be in balance with nature and the universe. Ceremonial dances are an important part of achieving that balance. Such dances always have a purpose, a function, whether it be for rain, snow, game animals, crops or other good things in life.

These dances often follow many days of ritual and fasting in the kiva, a part of the ceremony not seen by spectators. These pueblo dances may be enjoyed aesthetically without understanding the meanings behind them, but any observant spectator will be aware that there is meaning to the music, costumes, and the movements of the dances.

The Eagle Dance is performed in early spring and repeated from time to time during the summer. The eagle is believed to have direct intercourse with sky powers and is venerated by the Pueblo Indians. The Pueblo Eagle Dance is a dramatization of the relationship between the eagle, man, and supernatural forces. During the dance, two young men who are costumed as eagles imitate the movements of actual eagles. They replicate eagles soaring over the fields, perching on high places, and resting on the ground.

Abel Sanchez (1899-1971) Oqwa Pi - Kachina Stick has provided us with a good interpretation of two young men performing the Eagle Dance, accompanied by two drummers.  In the background we see a kiva with houses nearby.

Abel Sanchez was Governor of San Ildefonso Pueblo six times.  He attributed his success as a painter to his "successful life and a big, healthy family." One of his claims to fame was painting a mural for the Santa Fe Indian School, where he had once been a student.   Unfortunately, all the old buildings there have been torn down resulting in the permanent loss of all the murals painted by former students.

This painting of a Pueblo Village Scene with Eagle Dancers and Drummers is illustrated on page 218 of Through Their Eyes—Indian Painting in Santa Fe, 1918-1945 by Michelle McGeough, Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, 2009 

Condition:  appears to be in very good condition and has recently been re-framed with archival materials.

Provenance: from the Charlotte G. Mittler collection, purchased from Richard M. Howard, Santa Fe art dealer in 19969.

Recommended Reading: Through Their Eyes—Indian Painting in Santa Fe, 1918-1945 by Michelle McGeough, Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, 2009