Clark Tenakhongva
Mudhead /
Koyemsi
13 1/4"
total height
"Koyemsi or Mud-head
Kachinas are probably the most well known of all the Hopi kachinas.
They appear in almost every Hopi ceremony as clowns, interocutors,
announcers of dances, drummers, and many other roles.
"The nearly always accompany
other kachinas; probably the only time when they do not appear
with other personages is during the Night Dances.
"Koyemsi are usually
the ones that play games with the audiences to the accompaniment
of rollicking tunes. These games are generally guessing games,
or simple attempts to balance objects or performances of some
common act. They most closely resemble our parlor games and the
rewards are prizes of food or clothing."
- Wright, Barton. Kachinas: a Hopi
Artist's Documentary (238)
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.
Clark's natural paints are
very unique. They are thick and textured. He does not use a sealant,
but uses a substance called 'tuuma' which makes the pigment very
difficult to rub off. He gets his pigments from all over the
southwest and he uses natural pigments of plant dyes and minerals.
Clark first started carving
Kachinas when he was 13 years old. He carved the 'old-style'
or what he refers to as the traditional style dolls that he used
to decorate his house. When a trader from Second Mesa first saw
these dolls hanging on the walls of Clark's home, he suggested
that Clark should start selling these dolls. So, in 1994, Clark
started carving the traditional dolls full time and the first
show he entered was at the Santa Fe Indian Market.
The carving is signed on the
bottom of the feet with Clark's signature and hallmark. Clark
is one of 19 featured artists in the book "Traditional Hopi
Kachinas" by Jonathan S. Day. Clark is also in "The
Art of The Hopi" by Lois & Jerry Jacka on several pages.
