Manuel Chavarria
Cactus / Yunga
14 1/2"
total height
We are delighted to featured
the award-winning work of traditional Hopi kachina carver Maneul
Denet Chavarria. Manuel is considered one of the "winningest"
old-style carvers of his time.
Manuel is from First Mesa.
He has influenced many of today's younger traditional carvers.
Along with his numerous awards, he has been featured in many
publications, including Arizona Highways and Tradition Hopi
Kachinas: A New Generation of Carvers by Johnathon Day.
The Cactus kachina, or Yung'a,
derives its name from the Spanish word for prickly pear, tuna.
According to Barton Wright, however, "there is just as much
reason to believe that this word, yung'a, is an old Hopi word.
"As a kachina, he appeared
just prior to the turn of the century and was personated only
a few times on First Mesa. He has been perpetuated more through
the use of dolls rather than in dances.
"His function on Third
Mesa was to insure the cleaning of springs, but on First Mesa
he seems to have appeared primarily in the Soyohim.
- Barton Wright, Kachinas: a Hopi
Artist's Documentary (146)
The early traditional style
kachinas have bodies that are carved to approximate human proportions.
For example, the arms are usually at right angles and are pressed
against the body. A static kilt and sash resemble the lower part
of the body and the legs are usually short. The head however,
is carved and painted correctly to identify each specific Kachina.
These dolls exhibits a pronounced spirituality because of their
strong stylization and abstractness.
