Diorama representing the dance of the Koyemsi,... Lot 31

Diorama representing the dance of the Koyemsi, clowns with mud heads. Painted wood, wool, raffia, shell. Dim : 22.5 X 29.5 X 17 cm Provenance according to the owner: Gallery B.Will Knappen, Santa Fe, acquired in the 1990s. Beautiful set representing a dance of clowns with mud heads. Originally from Zuni, Koyemsi is one of the most famous kachinas. The mask, not made of leather, but of cloth coated with red mud symbolizing the matrix gangue of which man is made, is swollen with balls on the sides. According to the tradition, it would be born of a union between a brother and his sister. His consanguineous status allows him unpredictable behaviors, sometimes insolent, sometimes placid. He is never alone but goes out in bands.