Kokopelli - Humpback Flute Player Kachina
by Adrian Poleahla, Hopi Pueblo
cottonwood root, pigment
11.5" high x 3" wide x 3" deep
The Humpback Flute Player (Kokopelli) is an engaging image that originated in the ancient Paleo-American culture and was brought into the present by the Pueblo Indians. This classic figure of a bent over being playing a flute has been associated with shamanism and supernatural qualities. He is a magical being who, by playing his flute, calls the clouds to make rain.
Today, the Hopi play flutes over the springs to attract rain. Kokopelli is also a symbol for fertility because he carries seeds and mist in his hump. He is mischievous when it comes to seducing young maidens! It is interesting to note that the hump, an abnormality or deformity, is considered special, even magical and transformative. Shaman are often deformed or have narrowly escaped physical death.
Adrian Poleahla is a fine kachina carver, noted for his detailed and realistic figures, often "caught" in action. He has also been able to adapt his level of detail to some small paintings as well. Adrian was born in Keams Canyon, Arizona, and comes from the Corn and Water Clan. He is an accomplished Kachina carver who has been carving Kachinas over thirty years, starting at the age of 5. He learned carving from his father, John Poleahla, and brothers Irwin, Wayne, Shona, and John Jr. Adrian carves his dolls in the traditional material of cottonwood with precision detail and three dimensional attention to every surface and angle.
ARTIST STATEMENT: “Every Kachina I do is what I’ve seen in life so therefore I try to make every one real. I have been carving since I was 5 years old. I am very grateful for my talent and for those whose heart my Kachinas have touched.”
