Lot 609
Edgar Sumatzkuku — 4 Erotic Hopi Katsina Clown Drawings, Hand-Colored Ink
Edgar Sumatzkuku — 4 Erotic Hopi Katsina Clown Drawings, Hand-Colored Ink
Starting Bid: $350
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Edgar Sumatzkuku (Hopi, b. 1949)., . Four hand-colored ink drawings of kachina dancers in erotic poses, n.d. Unsigned. A set of four small pen-and-ink drawings with hand-applied watercolor by listed Hopi artist Edgar Sumatzkuku, each depicting masked katsina performers in the ribald ceremonial interactions characteristic of Hopi clown traditions, rendered with the economical, fluent line work for which Sumatzkuku became known among collectors of Southwest Native art. The figures wear the striped body paint, conical headdresses, and elaborate ankle and wrist adornments of Tsuku and Paiyakyamu clown katsinam, their amorous and comedic entanglements laid out across a spare ground with the uninhibited directness of insider knowledge. Size of drawing (all the same): 4" W x 4" H (10.2 cm W x 10.2 cm H); of frame: 15" W x 15" H (38.1 cm W x 38.1 cm H)
In Hopi ceremonial life, clown performers occupy a theologically sanctioned space of transgression, their erotic antics functioning as social corrective and cosmological commentary rather than mere spectacle, a dimension that lends Sumatzkuku's depictions a significance well beyond the titillating. Each drawing is presented in a matching black-matted frame, the four together forming a cohesive suite. Small-format works of this kind were a Sumatzkuku specialty, and erotic katsina sets of this completeness and consistency are uncommon on the market.
Provenance: private Denver, Colorado, USA collection, acquired prior to 2002
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Item #
201674
- Condition: Each mounted behind glass in custom matte and frame with suspension wire or hook to verso for display. Have not been examined outside of glass, but all appear to be in excellent overall condition.
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| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $749 | $25 |
| $750 | $1,499 | $50 |
| $1,500 | $2,999 | $100 |
| $3,000 | $7,499 | $250 |
| $7,500 | $14,999 | $500 |
| $15,000 + | $1,000 |