Old Hopi Kiva Bowl, c. 1900

This old handled kiva bowl with terraced stepping around the square rim dates to around 1900. The bowl appears to be an authentic piece for use in Hopi ceremonials. Steve has seen Hopi priests carry these bowls full of water into which they dip a bundle of eagle feathers to sprinkle onto the kachinas. Similarly, Steve has seen the priests carry these bowls with ground corn meal that they pinched and sprinkled on the kachinas, or onto the ground they walked on. The piece is not by Nampeyo, as its top layer is not the same thickness as the bottom part of the bowl as hers were. However, the piece is old, and does have a couple of stable cracks in the handle, but appears and feels sturdy. This unusual old piece has interesting painting and dimpling, and measures 3 1/2" height, 6 1/2" depth, and 4 1/4" width. The bowl was originally collected at Oraibi, the Hopi village.