WUPOMO KACHINA

8x10 inch unframed poster of Daily Painting #1005, WUPOMO KACHINA, by John Farnsworth " Wupomo is a fierce Kachina guard whose job is to keep the crowds away from the power of the other Kachinas during dances. This particular dancer would be seen wearing a mask made from a yucca sifter basket, which explains the round, flattened shape of his head. The Kachinas, carriers of messages to the heavens asking for rain, productive crops, fertility, all the things of a good, simple life, are represented in these small dolls, carved from cottonwood root, and given to the children as tools for learning the intricacies of the Hopi religion. They have, over the years, also become much sought after by collectors. Their primitive, yet sophisticated design speaks to me much as African art spoke to art...