Hopi Eagle Dancer Kachina / Katsina: Katsina Aaron Honanie (1953

Description: Offered byAntique American Indian Art, llc.--- AAIA --- Hopi Eagle Dancer Kachina / Katsina:Aaron HonanieHopi Pueblo, Second MesaHand carved from cottonwood root. Late 20th century; 13 1/2" signed: A. Honanie The flowing kilt and active wings demonstrate the true masters abilities in this doll. This doll has life. “The eagle is the strongest and bravest of all birds. For this reason, Native Americans have chosen the eagle and its feathers as a symbol of what is highest, bravest, strongest and holiest. In the Native American culture, eagle feathers are given to another in honor, and the feathers are worn with dignity and pride. They are treated with great respect. When an eagle feather is dropped during a Native American dance, a special ceremony is performed to pick it up again, and the owner is careful to never drop it again.” St. Joseph's Indian School For the Hopi, the eagle is an all-important bird. They believe that the eagle embodies the spirits of their ancestors. In Spring, it is not unusual to see eaglets tethered on Hopi rooftops. They had been captured by Hopi youth who climbed up to the nest to take the baby eagles home where they were treated with respect. They would then be given baby presents and nursed tenderly. The eaglets were fed until Niman ceremony in mid-July after which time they would be sacrificed as part of the ceremony. After Niman, the katsinas would depart the Hopi villages and return to the San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff, Arizona, where they would remain until winter. After the departure of the katsinas, the Hopi would then gently suffocate the now somewhat grown eagles whose spirits would then carry the Hopi’s prayers for rain to the ancestral katsinas. The eagles would then be buried in a special cemetery after their feathers were removed and saved for future purposes. Eagle Katsina dolls might be considered one of the most important dolls produced by the Hopi. Making a katsina doll is not something done lightly by most Hopi men. Even if being made for sale, the doll is made with respect and in honor of the ancestral spirits. The dolls are still made to be given to Hopi girls as gifts from the Katsinas during ceremonial occasions. The fact that they are also made to be sold does not diminish their importance. --- Aaron Honanie (1953 – 2009) "When Aaron Honanie was about five, he began herding sheep with his Grandfather George who taught him about Hopi history and culture. He learned to hunt deer and elk with a bow and arrow. 'I like to carve the animals most,' he commented. Aaron learned the importance of living in harmony with his environment. 'When I am planting corn, I sing to the corn and tell it to come up. Then I tell my kids about it so they will know what to expect when they grow up...My grandfather George taught me all of these things.' Aaron gets up early each morning to tend his horses and herd of cattle. He comes home in the late morning and carves for about six hours. Later in the evening, he often carves a few more hours. He explained, 'I'm slow in my carving, and it takes me about a month to finish a doll...When I am carving I pray to the doll and sing the song that goes with that Kachina...I put a pencil mark where the eyes are going to be so that the doll can see what I'm doing. It makes the doll alive.' In 2004, when Aaron won the prestigious Award of Excellence at the Southwest Indian Fair, the judges commended him. Aaron lives in Moenkopi, on the Hopi Reservation, where the carvers of the village half-jokingly call themselves the Moencopi Boys. Active in his kiva, he was initiated into a Hopi men's society at the age of twelve. In addition to carving, Aaron enjoys spending time at the rodeo where he is a skilled team roper. Aaron first began carving kachina dolls from several pieces of cottonwood root, with parts glued to the body and painted with acrylics. In 1984 his technique changed when he and his brother, Jimmie Gail, visited Loren Phillips and watched him carve dolls. Since that year, Aaron has supported himself and his family with his art. And he always gives Loren ready praise for being a good teacher. Aaron Honanie is one of today's foremost carvers and has many prizes to show for it. (Cactus Moon).Quoted from Hopi Katsina: 1,600 Artist Biographies by Gregory Schaaf. CIAC, Santa Fe. 2008. Due to the fragile nature of kachina dolls, we do not guarantee they will not break during shipping. We do our best to pack them well, but due to their fragile nature and even with the best packing, small pieces can break. If you are purchasing kachina dolls, please keep this in mind. 191003-22 Welcome to Matt Wood's Antique American Indian Art, llc (AAIA) eBay ListingsAs the nation’s leading gallery of Antique North American Indian Art and Artifacts, we invite you to consider the beautiful art and artifacts that we list on eBay with full confidence in the authenticity and legality of the item, in the accuracy of the listing, and in the professionalism that we demonstrate in processing each transaction. Celebrating over 45 years in business, Matt Wood and Len Wood are founding members of ATADA (Antique Tribal Arts and Dealers Association), and we provide you, the collector, a unique opportunity to buy directly from our gallery inventory via eBay. We offer Certificates of Authenticity, a 7-day home inspection period allowing returns for full refunds (less shipping/insurance costs), and a lifetime trade-back policy (call for details). We are confident that you will be pleased with the value, service and peace-of-mind that our gallery can offer you. Thank you for looking! SHIPMENT We package all items for shipment in the utmost professional manner, and all shipments are fully insured. Please read our Store Policies for all of our shipping information.PLEASE FOLLOW US on eBay - If you hit the FOLLOW THIS SELLER link on the top right of this listing under the Seller Information button, you will be able to get the early notices of our new additions and sales. We will be adding lots of quality Antique American Indian Art over the next few months.

Price: 3190 USD

Location: Oak Harbor, Washington

End Time: 2024-01-30T18:47:05.000Z

Shipping Cost: 0 USD