Tuhavi & Koyemsi Kachina

Width: 8 in. base
Height: 23 1/2 in.

This is a very finely detailed piece, right down to the tiny niches in the masks, which create a hand sewn look. Alvin Navasie is a master carver whose work is featured in the book "The Art of The Hopi Contemporary Journeys on Ancient Pathways" by Lois Essary Jacka. His Kachina carvings are also featured in the Mudhead Gallery. This Kachina is known as the Tuhavi & Koyemsi (mudhead) Kachina. This unique doll shows two men enacting an ancient folk tale. The story tells of a paralyzed man and a blind man that were left behind during a disaster. The standing blind man carries the paralyzed man, together they combine their abilities to survive. This pair appears in the Mixed Dance. The doll is easily recognized because his is the only Kachina with his horns turned down.

Artist: Alvin Navasie
Tribe: Hopi