"[Lot of 19 - Kachinas]", U.S. Gov't Printing Office

These colorful collotype plates are probably the most sought-after from any of the BAE reports. They are from the report by the American anthropologist Jesse Walter Fewkes which describes in great detail his 1901 expedition to the Hopi Mesas. Believing that a series of pictures made by Hopi artists would be a valuable means of studying the symbolism of the tribe, he arranged for the best artists to make a series of drawings of all the kachinas that appear in Hopi festivals. The author originally hired an American artist, but in an inspired decision, instead hired three Hopi artists. The men were Kutcahonauu (White-bear), Homovi, and Winuta. Unfortunately, the individual artist responsible is lost to us because the drawings were not specifically identified. Each plate has between two and six views of various Kachinas, the majority here were participants in the Hopi Powamu festival, or Bean-Planting. The ceremony includes Soyokos (monsters) called Natackas. The following is a partial list of the wonderful Kachinas represented in this lot; Tehabi, Kerwan and Mana, Tumas, Ahul, Tunwup, Natacka Wuqti, Natacka Naamu, Kumbi Natacka, Kutca Natacka, Hehea Katchina and HeHea Katchina Mana (female), Powamu, Eototo, Tcabaiyo, Atocle, Totca, Kwahu, Keca, Hotsko, Turpockwa, Owa and Mana, Telavai, Malo, Humis, Nuvak, Momo and many more. Included are the highly desirable Kokopelli and Kokopelli Mana plates. This collection represents about 1/3 of the Kachina plates present in the report.

References:

Condition: A+