Derrick Hayah
Ho'e Clown
10 1/4"
H with 2" base
Derrick Hayah is from First
Mesa, the village of Walpi, and is of the Rabbit and Tobacco
clans. He has been carving for nearly 16 years and learned from
his uncles, including Gary Hayah. He is also the older brother
of Godfrey Hayah.
His work is some of the fastest
selling artwork we feature. They are great figures with real
value at very reasonable prices. Be sure to take a look at the
rest of Derrick's work in the gallery area.
The Ho'e figure is a figure
who appears during the Powamu ceremony (or Bean Dance) and is
part of the procession which proceeds around the village. They
are known for being noisy and boisterous teases. They are constantly
disrupting the procession and the other kachinas with their games
and antics.
Constantly, the guardian kachinas
are returning to the plaza to be sure that the Ho'e are keeping
up with the pack. Finally, they are the last to give up their
games and go into the kiva.
The life-like stance of this
kachina is as he appears in the Hopi plaza. He is depicted here
with a rattle in one hand and a lightning stick in the other,
while other times he might be carrying gifts and pointing out
children who will be their recipients, or hauling a drum that
he beats as they march.
His right foot is lifted in
rhythmic fashion, as the dance processional moves on. The sashes
and cotton tassels have been intricately carved as they seem
to flow back and forth.
Perhaps the most amusing feature
of the Ho'e is his exaggerated mouth & nose and displaced
eyes. Derrick has done a great job of illustrating this colorful
and mischievous character.
As a finishing touch, Derrick
is known to detail the bases of his figures, giving them an added
quality of theatrical charm. This particular piece features a
traditional Hopi sash design.
Derrick has done a nice, clean
job with this figure, as he does with all of his increasingly
popular work. These are the carvers we're focused on most - the
ones which help bring the figure to life - almost as if the onlooker
is their in the plaza with them.
Derrick is truly one of these.
As one of the younger generation of carvers, he has quickly and
skillfully responded to the demand that more and more serious
collectors are placing upon the art.
His work has strong visual
appeal, as he is not afraid to use bold, bright colors, and his
bases always have something extra.
