Soyok Wuhti Action Scene by Ronald Honyouti with Ogre, Mother, and Child [SOLD]

Ronald Honyouti's carving of the fearsome Ogre Woman, Soyok Wuhti, powerfully captures a rare, intense moment in katsina culture. Departing from both traditional and contemporary portrayals, Honyouti's multi-figure composition depicts Soyok Wuhti's arrival at the home of a Hopi mother and child. The child clings tightly to the mother, while Soyok Wuhti menacingly reaches forward, hooking the child with her crook.

Barton Wright describes the formidable Soyok Wuhti as "the awesome figure of the Monster Woman" who appears during the Powamu ceremony as one of the terrifying Soyoko figures. "Dressed all in black, with long straggling hair, staring eyes, and a wide-fanged mouth," she wields a blood-stained knife and a long, jangling crook, striking fear in the children who see her. With a haunting falsetto or dismal hoot of "Soyokó-u-u-u," she threatens to capture the children in her basket or, with a large knife, threatens their very lives. In some villages, she leads a procession of ogres, while in others, she remains at the side, content to intimidate with gestures alone.

Honyouti, born in 1955 and raised in Hotevilla on Third Mesa, carved this katsina from cottonwood root and signed his name on the bottom of the pedestal. His work, praised for its motion and grace, reveals the natural grain of the wood beneath oils and stains. A 1985 SWAIA Fellowship recipient, Honyouti comes from a family of esteemed katsina carvers, learning the art from his father, Clyde Honyouti, and working alongside his brothers, Lauren and Brian Honyouti. This extraordinary carving vividly brings to life the cultural and emotional depth of the Hopi legend of Soyok Wuhti.

What is a Kachina?

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: this Soyok Wuhti Action Scene by Ronald Honyouti with Ogre, Mother, and Child is from the estate of a Santa Fe family

Recommended Reading:

- Hopi Kachinas: The Complete Guide to Collecting Kachina Dolls by Barton Wright

- Hopi Katsinas 1,600 Artist Biographies by Gregory Schaaf

TAGS:  Hopi Pueblo, katsina dolls, Brian Honyouti, Lauren Honyouti