David Jensen
Kwasa-itaka
(Dress Kachina)
12 3/4"
H with 1 1/2" base
David Jensen (Calnimptewa)
is 27 years old and lives in Tuba City, Arizona with his wife
and son. David's mother, who also carves, is the sister of Hopi
master carver Cecil Calnimptewa. David began carving in 1993
with Cecil as his mentor. In order to continue developing his
skills, David will still spend a day now and then carving with
his uncle.
David has the talent and a
great desire to become a master carver like Cecil. But with a
family to help support, his carving time is often interrupted
by the necessity of holding down a job, such as driving a wrecker
16 hours a day like he was doing when we visited with him in
October, 1999. In spite of that he still manages to carve several
dolls a year and dreams of the day he can support his family
doing what he loves - carving Hopi Kachina dolls.
"This kachina is the
Hopi Third Mesa form of the Koroasta of the Zuni. Sometimes he
is called the Dress Kachina, because he wears a woman's dress
without a belt, or the Ota Kachina, from the first words of his
song.
The most typical feature of
the kachina is the little cornhusk packets that make his nose.
The lines running around his face are to represent the rainbow
colors. He has influence over the growth of corn and carries
seeds in the bag in his left hand. Spectators are very eager
to receive these seeds and plant them.
He is consistently seen in
the Third Mesa Powamu. This kachina generally carries sheep scapulae
rattles in his right hand, but in recent years this has shifted
from the Zuni form to the Hopi rattle. The kachina is supposed
to carry a digging stick rather than a cane as sometimes represented."
- Barton Wright, Kachinas: a Hopi
Artist's Documentary
