GREAT HORNED OWL (MONGWA) KACHINA

Eric Paseva-1984
Katsina Clan
Old Oraibai, Third Mesa

Eric lived on the Third Mesa (Old Oraibai) on the Hopi reservation until his death more than a decade ago. He was descended from a distinguished family of kachina carvers that included his grandfather, father, uncle, and brother.  
The Great Horned Owl kachina (Mongwa in the Hopi language) is best noted for his incessant war on the clowns.  As the clowns follow their usual pattern of un-Hopi-like behavior, a single silent figure will drift into one corner of the plaza and watch these uncouth fellows.  When the clowns next appear, growing ever more boisterous in their actions, the Owl again appears and hoots solemnly.  With each appearance he gets closer until he ends up talking with the clown chief who promptly blames all misbehavior on the other clowns.  But at the last performance, the Owl is joined by other Warrior Kachinas. They leap upon the clowns, douse them with water, beat them vigorously with willow switches or yucca blades, and leave them howling with remorse in a pile in the middle of the plaza.
Eric’s Monga in our collection is a small, simple, classic representation of this important kachina. The figure wears the traditional buckskin cape and kilt with green bands and symbols folded to form a breechclout, black yarn around his wrists and knee along and fringed clay-colored moccasins.  He carries a yucca whip in each hand. The piece displays forward body movement and bend of the arms, sharp focus of the head, and bent legs as though the kachina were photographed dancing in mid-stride. The piece was acquired from a private dealer in Santa Fe.