Raymond Chee, Navajo/Hopi carved Ahola Kachina (JM114)

Raymond Chee is an award-winning carver who creates lifelike figures out of cottonwood. He lives in the northern part of Arizona with his family. ca. 1990s DETAILS:Artist: Raymond CheeSize: 10” H x 5” WBase: 3 1/4” x 3 1/2” Condition: This doll has been in a private collection and is in perfect condition. The Ahöla Kachina, also known as Ahul, is a spirit being, embodied by a man, in Hopi religion. Ahöla is one of the important chief katsinam for First and Second Mesas because he opens the mid-winter Powamu ceremony, sometimes called the Bean Planting Festival, officially beginning Katsina season. Ahöla, a winter solstice Katsina, arrives to open the kivas for the other Katsinas’ visitations. He blesses all the houses in the village and the seeds that each household will plant in the upcoming agricultural season. JM114