Henry Fred
Triple Mudhead
13 3/4"
H with 2" base
Henry Fred is one of many
brothers - including Nathan, Malcolm, Jim, and others. Like his
brother's he is an exceptionally talented artist - his favorite
subject being kachina dolls.
He is from the village of
Bacavi, at Third Mesa and was born November 21, 1951. He is a
member of the Roadrunner clan. He is mostly self taught, but
had some guidance from his uncles and practiced with his brothers.
He has been carving since the age of 16 years old and has been
active ever since.
"Koyemsi or Mud-head
Kachinas are probably the most well known of all the Hopi kachinas.
They appear in almost every Hopi ceremony as clowns, interocutors,
announcers of dances, drummers, and many other roles.
"The nearly always accompany
other kachinas; probably the only time when they do not appear
with other personages is during the Night Dances.
"Koyemsi are usually
the ones that play games with the audiences to the accompaniment
of rollicking tunes. These games are generally guessing games,
or simple attempts to balance objects or performances of some
common act. They most closely resemble our parlor games and the
rewards are prizes of food or clothing."
- Barton Wright, Kachinas: a Hopi
Artists Documentary (238)
This pair features one mudhead
hosting the other in "piggy-back" fashion. Similar
to the Mudhead and Paralyzed set, these two accompany one another
- and some have referred to the two as "father and son."
This trio is a favorite of
ours, and we are always excited to see Henry's famous Mudheads
come in.