Florence B. and Carl L. Selden Fund

Modeled deer with legs folded under in a posture of repose. (lower right in photo) Tail and ears are modeled; eyes are indicated by holes. Three-pronged antlers, constructed from twisted bits of hide, are inserted in front of the ears. Most of the body of the deer has been covered with black slip. Unslipped are the chin, upper chest, and most of the bottom of the piece.

Intricately woven bag with two different design motifs. One side has twin lines of squares oriented on the diagonal the other side has zig zag pattern.

Around 1700 the distinctive estípite column with its angular profile - widest in the middle of the shaft, narrower at the base and capital - became popular in Spain, particularly in Andalusia. Its transmission to the New World occurred when Spanish artist Jerónimo Balbás traveled to Mexico to design an altar screen for the cathedral. His Altar of the Kings (1718-37) included numerous polychrome and gilded estípite columns, which were rapidly copied and, unlike in Spain, also applied to some stone facades. The first known use of estípite columns on the northern frontier of New Spain is on the carved and painted stone altar of the castrense chapel (1761) in the style of Spanish-born artist Captain Bernardo Miera y Pacheao (1714-1785). The columns from the Lady of Guadalupe at Zuni Pueblo represent the second known example of this style in New Mexico and are exceptionally well-executed, provincial examples of the form. These were apparently gessoed and polychromed, not layered with gold leaf like estípite in central Mexico. The carving includes standard elements of the late Baroque or Estípite Baroque style characterized by Rococo decorative details such as geometric compartments in the shape of squares, circles, and rectangles as well as opposing S- and C-scroll motifs, seen on the upper shaft. The lower shaft displays chevrons, winged cherubs, vegetal filler overlapping the shaft's frame, and suspended bunches of Eucharistic grapes. Photographs and illustrations from the mid-to-late nineteenth century depict the altar screen with four large estípite columns (this one and three counterparts). The altar screen originally included a large oil painting of the Virgin of Guadalupe, images of Saint Dominic, Francis, Michael, and Gabriel, and a relief of God the Father at the top.

The object, a dance shield, is one of a pair commissioned by Culin for the Museum. The difference between the two is that this shield has a painted pale blue sun with light red stars and the other (03.325.3504) has a pale red sun with light blue stars.

Heart of the Sky God (Sotuknangu) Kachina Doll. Or sometimes referred to as the Star Kachina (Sootukwnang) Master of the Universe. Either way it represents a deity. This is a deity impersonated by elders in certain kiva ceremonies. May also appear in Powamu, Mixed Dances of springtime. Believed to control the dangerous thunderheads, lightening and destructive rain. He wears a peaked hat (with feathers) that represents thunderheads. He holds a representation of the expandable sticks in his PL hand that represent lightening. The PR foot is slightly raised as well as his PR arm and the hand holds a gourd rattle with a four point star on it. He has yarn ties on his wrists and the top of the carved and painted brown boots. PR hand has a rattle His body painted blue, wears a traditional white kilt and sash with a carved fox tail in the back and a leather bandolier with shells crosses over his chest and back. His mask is helmet style with the front painted white and the back green. Black slits with rain drops over them for eyes, hourglass forms on his cheeks and a triangular mouth. The edge of his headdress is trimmed with ruffled yarn. The ears are large red disks with turquoise bead earring loops. This Kachina appears during the Angk'wa, night dances) usually with a mixed Kachina group. In the dance he carries a bull roarer and expandable sticks to make lightening when he dances.

Large stone bear or mountain lion with inlaid turquoise eyes and painted zig zag mouth.

Compactly modeled buffalo (photo left) standing on four legs with head slightly lowered. Incisions on the back of the two front legs indicate long hair. Neck ruff and beard are moldeled. No hoofs indicated. Leather ears and tail are inserted into the clay.

By exchange

The toggle head is a seal poking through the ice at one end with an angled spur located at the other. The toggle types have a line hole near the midsection of the harpoon head.The toggle head is attached to a fore-shaft assembly which provides the weight to thrust the head through the mammal’s skin and blubber right down into the muscle. When the strike is good enough to get the harpoon head deep into the animal’s muscle, the fore-shaft assembly falls away. This toggle may have been used for seal hunting.