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Painting

Date: before 1934

Artist or Maker: Newmani Eustace (Newman, Newini, Newmi)

Dimensions:

Overall: 42.5 x 34.3 cm (16 3/4 x 13 1/2 in.)

Overall1: 42.5 x 34.3 cm (16 3/4 x 13 1/2 in.)

Medium: paper | paint, gouache | pencil

Place Made:

Zuni Pueblo, McKinley County, New Mexico, Southwest, United States, North America

Object Number: IAF.P51

Not on view

DescriptionZuni dance: seven dancers with kokko faces; two maidens dressed in black dresses with white, red and black mantas and white moccasins and leggings; three dancers with orange and yellow upper bodies, white embroidered dance kilts, white dance sashes and turquoise and orange moccasins.
Tribal Collection Review RemarksJim Enote and Octavius Seowtewa during collection review visit June 10 and 11, 2009 (Events Record “Collection Review: Zuni Tribe, Review 2”): The catalog description says this painting depicts a Zuni corn dance, but this is incorrect because this is not a corn dance and the dancers are not from the Corn Clan. A better understanding of it would be a dance to pray for rain, good growth of crops, and prosperity. Another inaccuracy is the presence of the two female impersonator dancers (turned sideways, facing to the left). Female impersonators do not appear in this dance, so these two are out of context. This dance group, called Ko’ko’shi, meaning “good dancers who are gentle and nice,” is the first one to perform after the summer solstice fasting. They come in the evening and dance for twenty-four hours. They also start the night dance cycles following the winter solstice fasting. This is a winter scene because the dancers are all wearing moccasins; they dance barefoot in the summer. The dance may include around 100 of the yellow and orange dancers. This depiction is missing the father (leader) of the group who brings in the dancers. The father is always from the Deer Clan.

In Collection(s)

Zuni Collection

The Indian Arts Research Center, in collaboration with Native American community scholars, strives to present accurate collections records. Records may be updated as new information becomes available and is reviewed with the Native American community having cultural affinity to particular items. Please write to iarc@sarsf.org if you have questions or concerns related to the documentation.