8
1/4" tall including the base
$950
Sale! New reduced
price is 40% off:
$570 SOLD
plus shipping & insurance |
The Left-Handed Kachina (Siyangphova) is called left-handed
because most of his gear is reversed. He is a favorite subject for the carvers of Kachina dolls and his role is
that of a prompter in dances. He takes small steps at the edge of a procession, and is considered a hunter. Left-Handed
Kachinas usually come in pairs and make appearances at many of the dances. One Left-Handed Kachina keeps a steady
step, while the other kneels and looks for animal tracks.
This carving depicts a Left-Handed Kachina, with his left arm raised
in the act of throwing a rabbit stick. The Kachina has been carved and decorated very true to traditional Hopi form, with
a brown case mask and a mop of carved
brown sheepskin on top of his head for hair. There are two pairs of carved warrior feathers on
top and he has red tab ears. The mouth is a protruding red rectangle with white sharp teeth
and a long red tongue sticking out over his goatee.
The left half of the body is painted with horizontal white stripes and the right half is naturally stained.
He wears a carved ceremonial breechclout that shows great texture and natural folds. These folds greatly enhance
the sense of reality. He also wears a carved buckskin cape that is tied over
his right shoulder and he has a carved quiver with arrows on his
back.
The Left-Handed Kachina is standing and holding
a rabbit stick in his left hand. These ceremonial sticks are used for hunting wild rabbits to obtain food for the
Hopi.
The Kachinas has a very natural stance and good body proportions. The
cape has been carved to look like real
leather and the moccasins look like glove-soft leather as well. The
Kachina shows very good motion and stance.
This Kachina by Keith Torres exemplify very fine detail in Kachina doll carving.
Most impressive, is that the Kachina is carved from a single piece of cottonwood root, with only the feathers
on the heads and the bow in the right hand added.
Everything else, including the
cape, base, beard and even the rabbit stick are from the same single piece of cottonwood root.
Keith Torres is one of the leading carvers of Kachina dolls today. He learned carving from his uncle, Edward Poleahla
and is from First Mesa on the Hopi reservation. He is a member of the Coyote and Fire Clans.
Keith's realism is seen the solidity of the body's stance, and in all of the details he includes in his carvings...like
the wrinkles of the clothing, the careful carving of the cape and wildcat skin, the attention to proper dress and
tradition.
Keith Torres won First Place in the Kachina Class at the 1996 Santa Fe Indian Market and is mentioned in the book:
"Kachina Doll Carving" by Erik Bromberg.
The Kachina is signed: "Keith Torres" on the side of the
base.
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