Henry Shelton
Sotung Taka
14 1/2"
total height
Hopi Sotung Taka is the Laguna
Corn katsina. This figure appeared quite recently, apparently
within the last twenty years.
There are two main varieties
that appear with each other. One is clothed and acts as the side
dancer for the other who appears bare-chested. Some Hopi say
that he comes from Santo domingo and others say that he is from
Laguna.
He dances gracefully gesturing
with the objects held in his hands. This form is sometimes called
the Laguna Gambler
Henry Shelton, whos
Hopi name is Ho-yaoma, translated to Arrow Carrying, is
from the village of Oraibi on Third Mesa on the Hopi Reservation.
His father was Peter Shelton, Sr. and his brother is Peter Shelton,
Jr. both of whom were carvers of katsina dolls.
Henry attended the Santa Fe
Indian School from 1944 to 1949. His awards and exhibitions are
too numerous to mention here. He devoted much of his life to
creating katsina dolls, paintings, and sculptures.
He is in collections of the
Smithsonian, Museum of Northern Arizona, Kansas State Historical
Society, Denver Art Museum and Heard Museum and many private
collections. His work is eagerly sought.