Soyal - Malcolm Fred Hopi Kachina Doll
The Katsina:
Each Year, the opening ceremony of the Kachina Season is performed by the Solstice or ``Return'' Kachinas. . . . If one were standing in Oraibi (on Third mesa) early in December, he might see a solitary figure making its feeble and uncertain way in the late afternoon sun from the southern mesa edge to the village. The Soyal!
The Third Mesa Soyal shown here holds in his left hand the standard or symbol of the Soyal Ceremony: Four long switches with feathers at intervals along length. Normally the feathers that appear on the sticks are flicker feathers. . . . Malcolm has captured the look of the old and worn appearance of the hunting shirt that the Kachina wears.
The Carver:
Malcolm Fred comes from a large family of Kachina carvers, which include brothers Jim, Verlan, Henry, Nathan and Glen. He has been carving and winning awards since he was a teenager.
His awards include a Zuni Fire God which he entered into the 1996 Arizona State Fair. He is married to and has 3 children with a Zuni lady. One of his favorite kachinas is the whipper which he seems to do most frequently.
Malcolm is of the Greasewood and Roadrunner clans, and was raised in the village of Bacavi. He has been carving for 25 years. His motivation comes from his religion, history, and the freedom of expressing his inner feelings.
Malcolm continues to achieve incredible realism in his figures, and is known for his large and well-proportioned figures.
refs.: Barton Wright, A Hopi Artist's Documentary and www.Ancientnations.com
Item No.: KD.0049
Artist: Malcolm Fred
Size: 14 in H including base
Price: 2,375
