Highly collectibleVintage Hopi \"Buffalo Man\" (Buffalo Dancer) Hand-Carved Wooden Doll. This mid-century piece stands approximately11 inches talland comes complete with itsoriginal vintage two-sided typewritten information tag, providing excellent gallery provenance and historical context.
As detailed on the rare, museum-style tag, this doll represents the un-masked Hopi Buffalo Man dancer (Mosairu). In Pueblo culture, these winter social dance figures hold deep religious significance, acting as a spiritual bridge to bring the winter snows necessary to provide moisture-rich soil for a successful spring planting.
This authentic carving is crafted from traditional, lightweight cottonwood root and mounted on a natural wood cross-section base. The underside of the base is unsigned, which is highly typical for authentic mid-century Southwestern pieces hand-styled by talented Native American artisans.
Excellent vintage condition with vibrant, intact paint and detailing.
- Paint & Details: The rich reddish-brown face paint and striking black triangular eye accents remain smooth and crisp with no major cracking, flaking, or paint loss. The buckskin-style crossed body bands and wrapped white kilt with red trim are completely intact.
- Headdress & Horns: The thick ruff mimicking a buffalo mane is clean and full. Crucially, both delicate black carved wooden horns are completely intact and free of chips or repairs.
- Ceremonial Dance Stick: The hand-carved, rough-hewn natural wood ceremonial dance stick in his right hand features a natural, split-top texture that is an intentional, original part of the artisan\'s design.
- Base Condition: The underside shows honest vintage wear with traditional hand-rasped wood styling and original structural mounting brads. The base features a classic radial split from natural long-term wood aging, which is fully secure and structurally stable.
Please review all high-resolution photos carefully to assess the exact cosmetic condition before purchasing.
This delicate item will be packed with care to ensure the delicate wooden horns, natural trim, and paint arrive safely.
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