Traditional Hopi Longhair kachina - Arizona, United States

Description

Hopi Longhair kachina (Angak'china) with serene, understated look and original painting. In Hopi culture, the Longhair symbolises rain, fertility and harmony with nature. This example shows the distinctive calm facial expression, cylindrical ears, traces of textile/feathers on the head and a twisted wool belt. Beautiful, fair use with age patina and paint wear.

Origin & context
Manufactured within the Hopi tradition in Arizona, USA. Kachina dolls (tithu) are passed around as learning objects and represent spiritual beings depicted during ceremonial dances.

Dimensions
Height 23 cm, width 8 cm, depth 5 cm.

Condition
Good, authentic condition with signs of use, point wear and minor edge damage appropriate to age; see photos.

Provenance
Auction house de Zwaan (2024), Fred Smit Collection, 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.