Description
Poleyestewa’s kachina dolls are crafted in the traditional style, reminiscent of those made in the early 1800s. Unlike modern kachina carvings that often feature exaggerated motion and intricate detailing, his work emphasizes simplicity and authenticity, with arms tucked close to the body and carefully considered adornments. Each doll is carved from the root of the cottonwood tree, a material of spiritual significance to the Hopi due to its deep-reaching roots, symbolizing the search for water in the arid Arizona landscape.
Using a flint knife and a potter’s polishing stone, Poleyestewa employs time-honored methods to shape his figures. His paints, derived from natural vegetal dyes and mineral sources such as copper, chokecherry berries, jet, and coal ash, are mixed with a temper to ensure the colors resist fading over time. The dolls are finished with natural materials like angora goat hair, doeskin, and duck feathers, with Poleyestewa particularly noted for his exceptional feather work.
His work has attracted prominent collectors, including President George Bush, Lorne Greene, Wayne Newton, and the Bass Brothers of Texas. Poleyestewa maintains close relationships with many collectors, such as a Wyoming rancher who allows him to harvest cottonwood from their property and another who supplies naturally shed feathers from exotic birds like macaws and parrots, ensuring compliance with the Endangered Species Act and Migratory Bird Treaty.
He speaks to us from a place in time when the art form was a central aspect of Hopi culture that we can all learn from today. Come and answer the call of Hopi history as interpreted by contemporary Kachina carver, Poleyestewa.
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