Rare Early 20th C. Pueblo Kachina Helmet Mask with Cottonwood Snout & Horsehair

Native American, Southwestern United States, Pueblo. A kachina helmet mask formed as a cylindrical case mask of stiffened leather, its crown laced shut with a leather thong. The mask is identified as Sekya, and its face is framed by a black-outlined of pale green and red panels divided by a band of black triangles. Two eyes of gathered leather, stuffed with hair and painted with black pupils, hang from the face, with sight holes cut beneath them and at the base of the snout. The snout is carved from cottonwood, painted black, and ends in a gridded row of white teeth. A long lock of horsehair lies across the crown, and leather ties extend from the base. Masks of this type were worn by dancers in Pueblo ceremony. The cylindrical "case" helmet, made from a single sheet of hide stitched into a tube and closed with a separate crown, is one of the oldest Pueblo mask types. It also makes a good base for added parts: carved snouts, ball eyes, horsehair, and feathers were tied or pegged on and often repainted between ceremonies. Cottonwood, which is light and easy to carve, was used for these additions, just as it was used for carved katsina dolls. The soft, chalky pigments seen here are typical of mineral and earth paints, which wear and get touched up over many seasons of use. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. Item # 206165

Estimate:£375.17

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