Hopi kachina figure Kookopölö - Ogre kachina - Arizona

Powerful Hopi Kookopölö kachina with bird-like beak and rattle, an Ogre figure that instantly impresses with its expressive appearance.

Origin & meaning
The Kookopölö, also known as the Ogre Kachina, appeared in Hopi winter ceremonies to discipline children and remind the community to abide by traditions and rules. With its large mouth full of teeth, rattle in hand and geometrically painted ears, this figure embodies both fearsome authority and spiritual protection. Hopi kachinas are carved from cottonwood root (cottonwood) and served as educational and ritual objects within the pueblos of Arizona.

Dimensions & condition
Height: 45 cm - Width: 16 cm - Depth: 15 cm.
Condition: signs of use appropriate to age and ritual use, with textile and polychrome painting in good condition.

Provenance: Veilinghuis de Zwaan (2024), Collection Fred Smit, Haarlem

Fred Smit - teacher and historian Fred Smit made his first purchase in 1968 and would steadily expand his collection over the following decades to include objects from distant cultures. His interest was mainly in Africa and Oceania and he bought from recognised galleries, including Galerie Lemaire, Galerie Mabuhay (Rob Kok), Kunsthandel Aalderink and Michel Thieme in Amsterdam. His interests proved diverse: besides masks and sculptures, there were also weapons, carpets and various utensils. Visitors were amazed by the order with which the collector at his home in Haarlem managed to place each object in the big picture of shapes and colours, contributing to an imaginative interpretation of objects from exotic cultures.