Soyok Wuhti (Ogre Woman) - Milton Howard Hopi Katsina Doll
The Kachina
The awesome figure of the Monster Woman [Soyok Wuhti] appears during the Powamu ceremony as one of the many Soyoko who threaten the lives of the children. Dressed all in black, with long stragling hair, staring eyes and a wide-fanged mouth, she carries a blood smeared knife and a long jangling crook - a truely fearsome creature to the children.
When she speaks, it is in a wailing falsetto or with a long dismal hoot of 'Soyoko'-u-u-u,' from which her name is derived. She may reach for the children with the long crook and threaten to put them in the basket on her back, or to cut off their heads with the large knife that she carries in her hand utterly terrifying her young audience.
On some mesas she may be the ogre that threatens a small child who has been naughty and bargains with a relative to ransom the child, but on others she is not. In some villages she leads the procession of the ogres; in others she remains at the side, content to make threatening gestures."
The Carver
Milton's father was also a carver, and he learned his craft from his father and other members of his family who shared his father's passion. Before launching his career as a full time carver of Katsina collector dolls, Milton Howard gained certification as an electrician. His first sale of a Katsina doll was to a classmate while he was in his early twenties and still studying for his electrician's certificate. During this time he spent much of his free time exploring the art of Katsina doll carving with his cousins, and began to take orders from classmates and friends. Though Milton Howard's talent was obvious to all those around him, he did not take up carving seriously until he moved to Phoenix. Here he honed his skills as a carver of Hopi Katsina dolls, and his name quickly began to spread as a coveted artist for collectors around the world.
At the age of thirty, Milton Howard decided to dedicate his time completely to his Katsina carving talents. His collector Katsina dolls are now found all around the world in fine art galleries as well as in private collections. Though Howard's immense talent are obvious to even the most casual observer, one additionally element to his success has been the fact that he offers these amazing pieces as rather modest prices, so even collectors with limited budgets can own one of his spectacular Katsina dolls.
Though Milton Howard remains dedicated to the traditions of his heritage, he has also learned to express himself through his collector Katsina dolls with a delightful and readily recognized sense of humor. Many of his Katsina dolls will depict non-traditional scenes, but with accurately detailed representations of the Katsinam he cherishes as sacred symbols of his Hopi culture.
Ref.: www.Kachinahouse.com
Item No.: KD.0035
Artist: Milton Howard
Size: 16 1/2 in H
Price: 3,000
