Ernest Selina
"Rain
Dance"
14 3/4"L x 8 1/4"
W x 2 3/4" H
These great new works are
the creation of Ernest Selina from Second Mesa.
Ernest has taken his skill
as a kachina carver and painter and innovated a new art form
with these wooden "bowls." Some are concave, while
others are inverted to create and outward appearance. They are
created out of solid oak.
This piece is designed to
lay flat and presents a beautiful series of traditional Hopi
designs around the focal point, which is a Longhair Dance.
"The Long-haired Kachina
is one of the most pervasive of all kachinas. It is danced from
the Rio Grande to the Hopi Mesas in almost the same form. Among
the Hopis there are many varieties but the regular Angak'china
is the one portrayed here.
"They appear in a group
and sing a very melodious song which may be one of the reasons
that they are such favorites. They are often used for the Niman
Kachina on First Mesa coming with the Kocha Mana. In fact they
have danced in late August on First Mesa in direct contradiction
to the feeling that only Masau'u can be danced out of season.
Probably this was due to the presence of the Tewa people who
do not have a closed kachina season.
"Their purpose is to
bring rain, and it is said that they seldom dance without the
appearance of a soft gentle rain to help the crops grow. The
Angak'china shown [here] is the variety known as Hokyan Angak'china,
so named because of the peculiar step he uses in dancing. He
is also called the Red-bearded Angak'china. His function is exactly
the same as the regular Angak'china - to bring rain for the crops.
Angak'china is shown [here] as he delivers presents in mid-summer."
- Wright, Barton. Kachinas: a Hopi
Artist's Documentary (172)
