HOBI, Arizona - Lot 440

HOBI, Arizona Kachina doll representing Qöqöle, a female figure associated with birds, often interpreted as a sparrow or wren. The sculpture features a stylized mask with geometric motifs, a bird-shaped headdress atop the head, and typical polychrome decorations. The face is painted yellow with arched eyebrows and black facial markings. Painted wood (probably cottonwood), white cotton cord. circa 1960-1980 Signature: Tyler Polelonema, Qöqöle Kachina Tyler Polelonema (b. 1940) is a Hopi-Tewa artist renowned for his Kachina doll sculptures and paintings depicting ceremonial scenes. Son of Otis Polelonema (1902-1981), a renowned Hopi artist and educator, he continues the family artistic tradition. These works have been exhibited and auctioned several times in the United States. Qöqöle is a female Kachina associated with songbirds. She embodies harmony with nature and the seasons. Present in seasonal dances, she symbolizes fertility, the beauty of song and the links between humans and winged spirits.