K169 Ogre Woman
Ogre Woman by Hoi kachina carver Wayne Poleahla. The 9 1/2” kachina is carved from cottonwood root in the traditional Hopi manner.
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The Ogre Woman (Soyok Wuhti) is one of the Hopi’s delightfully animated kachinas. She appears on the First Mesa in Hopiland during the spring planting ceremonies.
Both entertainment and bogeyman figure, she pleads with children to help her grind meal and if they refuse, she threatens to catch them. She often has a basket on her back to carry the children away.
Later she appears with a group of other ogres and monster kachinas, with a long crook, to catch children, and a bloody knife. The children, of course, are scared and they scatter with squeals of delighted fear.
About the carver
Hopi Kachina carver Wayne Poleahla has been carving Kachina dolls for over 25 years and originally learned from Alvin James Makya. Alvin James is considered to be the pioneer carver in the making of action dolls. He is in Theda Bassman's Hopi Carvers book and in Eric Bromberg's book as well. They both say that Alvin is responsible for starting the trend towards full action dolls in the 1950's.
Wayne is from Old Oraibi, Arizona on Third Mesa. He is the son of John Poleahla, Sr. and brother of Irwin, John, Jr. and Adrian Poleahla.
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