Delwyn Harvey
Comanche
Tutumsi
9 1/2"
H with 1 1/4" base
"Tutumsi is the Komanchi
(Comanche) Kachina. However, he most closely resembles the Temtemsi
of the Zuni which is not a Comanche Kachina. Temtemsi, when he
appears in Zuni, is spotted with the blood of his victims, and
many are the stories relating to him.
However, in Hopi he does not
seem to be a popular kachina, and there are very few dolls made
of him. He appears in the Mixed Dances but even here his personations
are few."
- Barton Wright, Kachinas: a Hopi
Artist's Documentary (119)
Delwyn Harvey, "Wea"
(One of a kind), was born on the Hopi reservation in 1965. He
is a member of the Kachina Crow Clan. Delwyn has been carving
Hopi kachinas since 1978. He is a self taught artist.
Delwyn is also related to
Nuvadi Dawahoya (brother-in-law), who is a master carver in his
own right.
Like other contemporary kachina
carvers, Delwyn hand carves cottonwood root into magnificent
full bodied kachina dolls with a simple tool like a pocket knife.
His carvings are carved with extreme precision and detail.
He applies acrylic paints
to his dolls and paints them very carefully because it is essential
for the Hopi people to represent the kachina as accurately as
possible. Many of his dolls are carved from one continuous piece
of cottonwood. Some of his dolls are sought by collectors all
over the world. Delwyn signs his dolls "D. Harvey."
