Eli Taylor
Longhair
13 1/2"
H with 3" base
"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."
- Barton Wright, Kachinas: a Hopi
Artists Documentary (172)
Eli Taylor is known for his
collector quality life like Kachina carvings. At 10 years of
age, Eli was taught to make thunder sticks by older boys. This
was how he made his first 25 cents and learned the value of money.
At age 12, he was taught how to carve a Kachina doll by an elder
who was a judge and a minister. The first Kachina he carved was
a Crow Mother Kachina.
As Eli got older, his uncle,
Walter Hamana, who was also a Kachina carver, taught him to carve
basic Kachinas. Eli began developing his own techniques, learning
from his mistakes and improving with each carving.
"The hardest part of carving", said Eli, "is deciding
what to carve. I select cottonwood roots carefully to match the
Kachina I am going to carve, visualizing a completed carving
inside the wood before I test my carving skills."
"I feel there is a spirit
that develops in my work and a part of myself is nurtured into
the carving. For this reason, happiness is vital to my work.
As I carve I sometimes sing to feel happy, thinking of corn,
crops, animals and family. This gives me a sense of warmth and
goodwill. To date, my Kachina dolls are traveling the world.
I often wonder which dolls are in what part of the world. I pray
that they have a good home, and I have not forgotten them. My
wife, Judy and I, give small offerings of food to feed the Kachina
dolls where ever they may be."
"My father is Dalton
Taylor, Sun Clan, and my mother is Virginia Taylor from the Greasewood
Clan."
"I am 'happy' that I have 3 children. They are DeAlva, Audra
and John. My grandchildren give me great joy."
Eli Taylor went to school
at the Hopi Mission School and graduated from Sherman Indian
High School in Riverside, California in 1972. He then worked
as an Industrial Carpenter for 8 years and a bank teller for
1 year always carving along the way.
After a live time of trial
and error, Eli is considered to be one of the top kachina carvers
from the Hopi reservation. He is from the Greasewood Clan. Therefore,
his trademark is the sharp branch of the greasewood. Eli's Hopi
birth name is Tuy-Qaw-Va, which means that the sun takes precedence
over the land.
