Cecil Calnimptewa
Masau'u
17" Total
H w/ 2" base
12 1/2" Head to
Toe
"Masau'u (Skeleton
Kachina) is the only kachina who does not go home at the Niman
Ceremony and thus may dance at any time of the year. The organization
of the dance is very much like that of the Niman with the Masau'u
dancing in one line and the Masau'u Mana in the other.
"In addition the Skeleton
Kachina may appear during the Pachavu as a pair, with the Wawash
Kachina as a racer, or after a regular kachina dance in the plaza.
As he is a Death Kachina he does many things by opposites, for
the world of the Dead is the reverse of this world.
"Thus he may come down
a ladder backward or perform many other common actions in reverse.
In addition the standard Masau'u dance often has antic episodes
during the performance. Occasionally he may appear as a pair
of Masau'u behaving erratically, singing or growling a bit, beating
on the kiva hatchways with the willow switches, or dancing around
the fires at the cooking pits and even through the fires.
"The many colored splotches
on the mask are alluded to as clouds even though the actual face
is that of a skull surmounted by Soyal prayer feathers."
- Barton Wright, Kachinas: a Hopi
Artist's Documentary (254)
Cecil Calnimptewa is perhaps
the most well known kachina carver of today. His work has been
featured in nearly ever publication on Hopi kachina dolls and
has been the inspiration behind dozens, if not hundreds, of talented
new artists' work. Whole volumes have been dedicated to his carvings
alone.
As recorded in The Kachina
Dolls of Cecil Calnimptewa, by Theda Bassman "Cecil
Calnimptewa carved and sold his first Kachina doll when he was
18 years old. Since that time, he has become an innovator, teacher,
and master of the art."
He was born on January 1,
1950, into the village of Moencopi near Tuba City, Arizona, and
is a member of the Bamboo clan.
His work is known far and
wide, as he has received numerous awards and accolades for not
only his skills as a carve, but for the innovations in Hopi kachina
carving which he pioneered.
"His artistry is exhibited
in the fine detail of belts, sashes, and garments as well as
musculature, the motion, and active stance of the doll. He produces
very realistic figures which have sheer aesthetic beauty and
display tremendous power." - The Kachina Dolls of Cecil
Calnimptewa
