Oil paint on canvas. 14″ x 18″, $1,200. The Hopi Clown Kachina plays an important role in the ceremonial dances on the Hopi Reservation in northern Arizona. He is often depicted with a watermelon because it’s considered a real delicacy, especially in the heat of the Arizona desert, and because it adds color to his black and white makeup. He is often found teasing and chasing children who are misbehaving, and joyfully dashes at visitors who might be doing something that could offend the other Kachinas in residence during the growing season in the villages. While he appears funny, his responsibility is taken very seriously among the other tribe members during the dances.
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