Mud Head Clown - Koyemsi - Lot 14

Mud Head Clown - Koyemsi Hopi, Arizona Carved wood, pigments H. 14 cm (without base) Mid-twentieth century Provenance : - Collection Galerie Flak, Paris - Collection Léo Scheer & Nathalie Rheims, acquired from previous owners between 1999 and 2003 Formidable crouching figure of a Clown seemingly ready to leap up and engage in facetiousness. This figure is the Hopi version of the Mudhead Clown. Unlike their Zuni neighbors, the Hopi have only one Koyemsi Mudhead in their pantheon. He plays the role of troublemaker during ceremonial dances. He provokes the Kachinas Guardians, mocks the other dancers and plays many practical jokes to make the audience laugh. Beyond the theatrical and comic nature of their appearance, the Clowns dramatize the fundamental duality between order and chaos in all human society. They often provoke the intervention of the Guardians and Warriors, the embodiment of justice and wisdom. Their task is to restore order. The Guardians are often successful, but sometimes the Clowns rout them, causing disorder and confusion at the very heart of the ceremony. This is no coincidence, but rather a symbolic, choreographed illustration of inherent human failings. Indeed, for the Hopi, the community of Kachina spirits resembles that of humans: some members aspire to conform to the established order, while others constantly bend or break the rules. Far from being regarded with contempt, Kachina Clowns are respected, feared and admired. These "Masters of Disorder" represent what Roger Caillois called "the sacred of transgression" (L'Homme et le Sacré, 1939).