Clark Tenakhongva
Bumble Bee
13 1/4"
total height
"The Bee makes rather
casual appearances during the Mixed Kachina Dances or during
the night ritual of the Water Serpent Ceremony. He presumably
dances among the audience, although how anyone could dance through
the tightly packed humanity is hard to imagine.
With a tiny bow and miniature
arrows he either threatens to shoot the spectators or actually
does hit some of them with tiny blunt arrows. In Zuni, when this
personation appears, he brings honey to the children in the audience
in the odd-shaped cups that appear on the top of his head."
- Barton Wright, Kachinas: a Hopi
Artist's Documentary (85)
Clark Tenakhongva was born
in 1956 and comes from a long line of accomplished Hopi carvers.
Clark, along with other young carvers have rekindled the traditional
style of Hopi doll carving, like their Grandparents who were
actively carving in the early 1900's. These dolls closely resemble
those dolls made at the turn of the century.
The early traditional style
Kachinas have bodies that are carved to approximate human proportions.
For example, the arms are usually at right angles and are pressed
against the body. A static kilt and sash resemble the lower part
of the body and the legs are usually short. The head however,
is carved and painted correctly to identify each specific Kachina.
These dolls exhibits a pronounced spirituality because of their
strong stylization and abstractness. For Clark, his Kachina carving
is less of an art form and more of a religious act.
Clark's natural paints are
very unique. They are thick and textured.
