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About the Hopi Clowns
Some of you have asked about the Hopi Clowns as portrayed in Susan Kliewer’s ‘The Mischievous Ones’ bronze sculpture. It’s difficult to provide you with a simple explanation of these interesting characters. Anthropologists have extensively studied the meaning of the clowns and still often disagree as to their origin and purpose. The clowns play an extremely complex ceremonial role in the Hopi culture. They accompany most dances and appear in many of the major Hopi ceremonies. They are comic relief for some of the dances. Many of the clowns are an object lesson in improper Hopi behavior, but they also may serve to cure diseases or function as priests in a (katsina) dance. The five clowns in Susan’s sculpture all have names and specific personages. They all engage in loud and boisterous conversations, immoderate actions and gluttony. They are a source of public criticism and censure of un-Hopi like behavior. Their function can also include defusing community tensions, re-enforcing taboo and communicating tradition. The heart of the Hopi concept of clowning is that we are all clowns. Take a close look at the clowns in ‘The Mischievous Ones’, and you will see that they are all actively enjoying themselves, as as should when we are promoting this interesting and lively fundraiser.
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