Henry Naha
Billy Goat
10 1/4"
H incl. 1 1/4" base
This kachina was carved by
well known Hopi artist Henry Naha. Henry, a respected carver
who is a member of the Spider and Lizard Clans, lives near Polacca,
Arizona.
He was taught by one of the
masters - Cecil Calnimptewa, who is his Hopi godfather; and was
the husband of Avonne Naha, also a talented carver.
He has been an active carver
for over 20 years and learned from others such as Denis Tewa
and Joseph Dallas.
His figures always have an
excellent stance and pose suggesting great strength and pride.
The body proportions are in balance and the kachina has well
defined musculature. The hands are extremely well carved with
detailed fingers and fingernails.
He has signed the bottom of
the base: "H. Naha" along with a symbolic lizard, which
is his Clan symbol.
"This is another of the
animal Kachinas who appears during the fast parades and in the
summer may accompany the clowns. He is rarely carved as a kachina
doll and rarely appears in plaza dances.
" His is a comic and
clown Kachina. Reference should be made to the large testicles
that appear beneath his loin cloth. He is one of the copulation
Kachinas and is interested in copulating with everything in sight.
His testicles are full of fruit and other goodies, and towards
the end of the dance the aunt of the man impersonating the Billy
Goat Kachina with cut off his testicles and give the fruit and
other goodies to spectators. He is on occasion referred to as
a Piptuka Kachina which means 'coming to the clowns' kachina.
"This is another of the
innovative Kachinas. The tale is that there was an old man who
had a bad goat in his herd. The old man was throwing a stick
at the bad goat. This Kachina then came to turn the tables on
the old man and to pay him back. The goat then started throwing
the stick at the old man."
- Ricks, J. Brent, et al.,
Kachinas: Spirit Beings of the Hopi (70)
