Kachina Grandmother of the Ogres - AvatowiSoyokWuhti Katsina - Lot 15

Kachina Grandmother of the Ogres - AvatowiSoyokWuhti Katsina Hopi, Arizona Carved wood, pigments, feathers, fur, metal H. 22 cm (without base and fur) 20th century Provenance : - Collection Galerie Flak, Paris - Collection Léo Scheer & Nathalie Rheims, acquired from previous owners between 1999 and 2003 This furious figure with bulging eyes and a long snout, dressed in a cape and armed with a knife and a long metal stick, is a figure of an ogress grandmother. During her ritual appearances, she threatens children she suspects of misbehaving. Ogres are not seen as negative or malevolent spirits by the Hopi. On the contrary, they play the role of educators, encouraging children and adults alike to behave in accordance with tradition, to ensure harmony in the villages.