RARE San Juan Pueblo Boogieman Kachina Doll, Ohkay Owingeh Carved Wood Koscike Katsina [SOLD]

A Tewa Indian from a neighboring pueblo to Ohkay Owingeh did not recognize this representation but suggested that it was quite likely a “boogieman” katsina.  There are a pair of similar ones that are often referred to as Whitey and Blackie, based on their color, and they appear during the Turtle Dance.  He thought this might be a representation of “Whitey.”

The basic doll was carved from a single piece of wood, with the right arm, snout, ears, and mask appendages having been added. A leather kilt with a painted *Avanyu is glued into place and a ruff of fur serves as a beard.

Ohkay Owingeh is one of the Tewa-speaking pueblos that does not restrict the sale of such carvings.  Most, if not all, of the other Tewa-speaking pueblos do not seem to make such dolls or permit them to be sold.

*Avanyu: a deity of the Tewa Pueblos-San Ildefonso, Tesuque, San Juan, Santa Clara, Nambe, and Pojoaque-and is the guardian of water. He is represented as a horned or plumed serpent with curves suggestive of flowing water or the zig-zag of lightning. He appears on the walls of caves located high above canyon rivers in New Mexico and Arizona and may be related to the feathered serpent of Mesoamerica- Quetzalcoatl and related deities.

Condition: very good condition with wear typical of a katsina doll of this vintage.

Provenance: this RARE San Juan Pueblo Boogieman Kachina Doll, Ohkay Owingeh Carved Wood Koscike Katsina was originally acquired by Adobe Gallery in 1989 at which time it was sold and now we have it back to sell again.

Relative Links: Kachina – Katsina Doll, Ohkay Owingeh, San Juan Pueblo