Hopi Plate With Kachina Face

Item: 1647

Origin: Hopi – Likely Nampeyo of Hano
Date: Circa 1900
Media: Clay
Dimensions: 7″ diameter, .75″ tall

Description:  This is more a plaque than a plate as it nearly lays flat.  Plus there are two holes towards the top, but not on center, that were likely used to hang the piece from the wall. The front is lined with a wide, brown border that encircles a very fine line containing the abstract image of a kachina wearing a tableta.  Warm brown and rust red colors are used as the paint.  The face is beautifully rendered in abstract lines.  The eyes are towards the very top of the head, while the nose is a single line ending in a small circle.  The cheeks are painted with red, geometrical lines.  The mouth is the most interesting to me, segmented into 6 parts with one arc representing the opening. Below the head are four lines, one red and the rest brown, that may denote jewelry.

Earrings hang from the ears in a grid pattern that I would assume represent turquoise mosaic work.  Please look at item 1640, a single Hopi earring turned into a pendant with a mosaic pattern of turquoise centered with an abalone shell.  This is the same type of earring painted on this plaque. The tableta is the most complex part of the drawing.  Corn stocks hang from it. The beauty of this piece, to me, is the contrast of the highly complex tableta half with the minimalist lower mouth half.

The photos shown here are lower resolution and do not allow for zooming in. Please reach out if you would like a set of high resolution photos.

Condition: Condition is original with no restoration.  There are surface cracks seen on the piece, non of which go through.

Provenance: From a private collection in Madison,Wisconsin

Price: On Hold