Untitled Early Painting of Hopi Ceremonial Dance [SOLD]

Fred Kabotie (1900-1986) Naqavoyʹma (the sun coming up day after day) was an influential Hopi painter, silversmith, educator, author, and illustrator.  A family member nicknamed him Qaavotay (“tomorrow”), which a teacher later spelled as “Kabotie.” That name remained with him for the rest of his life. He was born to a traditionally-minded Hopi family at Songo`opavi, and began drawing Katsinam at a young age. Later, he attended the Santa Fe Indian School (SFIS), where, at the time, the Bureau of Indian Affairs was encouraging cultural assimilation and the prohibition of arts training.  Elizabeth DeHuff, wife of SFIS superintendent John DeHuff, taught Kabotie and other aspiring native artists painting out of her home.  Awa Tsireh, Velino Herrera, and Otis Polelonema were among her other early students. DeHuff’s encouragement would lead to a long and fruitful relationship.  In 1920, Kabotie’s work was displayed by the Society of Independent Artists in New York City, making him one of the first Hopi artists to receive national recognition. As a painter, he was most productive during the 1920s and 1930s, executing exceptional watercolor paintings of Hopi ceremonial functions.  Because of their quality and rarity, these paintings rank among the most valuable works by Native American painters.

Today, Kabotie is regarded as one of the most accomplished and influential Hopi artists.  His list of significant accomplishments is long and varied. Kabotie illustrated numerous books, exhibited his works around the country, and taught hundreds of young Hopi artists how to paint.  He worked for the Museum of New Mexico and School for Advanced Research, creating depictions of Hopi culture. He curated notable exhibitions of Native art, painted murals in prominent public locations, and was instrumental in the establishment of the Hopi Cultural Center.  He received a Guggenheim fellowship in 1945, and in 1954 was awarded the French Government’s Palmes d’Académique. He was an innovative jeweler, too, and helped establish the Hopi Silvercraft Cooperative Guild. His son Michael Kabotie (1942-2009) would become a very accomplished and successful painter and silversmith.  Fred Kabotie’s entire life was dedicated to the artwork of his people.

This incredible watercolor painting by Fred Kabotie is among the most rare and exciting works on paper that Adobe Gallery has had the pleasure of handling.  Kabotie’s subject here is a group of Kuwan Heheya katsinas. Barton Wright’s Kachinas: A Hopi Artist’s Documentary describes this particular katsina’s appearance and function: “The Kuwan Heheya or “Colorful” Heheya is one of the group dancers often chosen for the Niman Kachina on First Mesa.  They are accompanied by Kachin Manas who dance in a separate line, kneel and rasp at certain parts of the ceremony. Again, the ceremony is to bring rain for the partly matured crops, as the Hemis Kachina is asked, to tell the supernaturals to bring rain.”

Kabotie’s recreation of this ceremony features fourteen Kuwan Heheya gathered in a semicircle around four Kachin Manas.  Each “Colorful” Heheya, depicted accurately and in great detail, earns his name. Note the intricately detailed designs on Heheya’s sash—Kabotie’s considerable talent is apparent in these areas, which a less skilled artist might have simplified.  These fourteen katsinas gather around four Takursh Manas. The Takursh Manas “kneel and rasp,” creating the sound of thunder by running sheep’s scapulas along wooden rasping sticks. These sticks rest atop hollowed-out gourds, which amplify the Kachin Manas’ purposeful sonic expressions.  An additional figure observes the rasping closely, with his back turned towards the viewer.

While the aforementioned details are noteworthy, this painting’s appeal extends far beyond the satisfaction provided by technical skill and ethnographic accuracy.  Put quite simply, the image feels very special. Kabotie’s outstanding color choices play a large part in creating the painting’s enchanting energy. They’re warm, soft, immensely appealing, complementing and contrasting with one another perfectly.  The image’s composition—a nearly symmetrical arrangement, with the exception of a single additional figure—is graceful and effective. Kabotie created this piece in the 1920s. That he was able to create images like this relatively early in his career is truly remarkable. This incredibly rare painting by one of the most important Hopi artists is every bit as beautiful as it is historically significant.

Condition: this Untitled Early Painting of Hopi Ceremonial Dance is in excellent condition, with a few minor issues that are typical of a piece of its age

Provenance: Formerly owned by a doctor who visited Hopi as part of a public health initiative.  This doctor willed the painting to another public health-related organization

Recommended Reading: Fred Kabotie: Hopi Indian Artist - an autobiography told with Bill Belknap, 1977.