Willie Qumyintewa, Polik-mana (Butterfly Maiden) Katsina carving
Willie Qumyintewa
Tewa/Hopi Pueblo
Medium Specific
Cottonwood, paint
Classification
Sculpture: Wood
Dimensions
6 1/2 x 2 x 3 in. (16.5 x 5.1 x 7.6 cm.)
Accession Number
2025.35.28.54
Credit
Gift of Doris M. Lumsden
Memo / Artist Statement
Polik-mana (Butterfly Maiden) is a katsina, or spirit being, in Hopi mythology. Every spring she dances from flower to flower, pollinating the fields and flowers and bringing life-giving rain to the Arizona desert. She is represented by a woman dancer at the yearly Butterfly Dance, a traditional dance for Hopi girls. The dance takes place in late summer, before the harvest, to give thanks to Polik-mana for her spring dance.
Inscription
Butterfly Maiden. Willie Qumyintewa. Hopi.