Koshares
Artist
Emil Bisttram
(American, born Hungary, 1895 - 1976)
Date1933
MediumWatercolor
Dimensions22 1/2 x 16 in. (57.2 x 40.6 cm)
ClassificationsPainting
Credit LineGift from Mrs. Johnson McNutt, 1972
Object number2813.23P
DescriptionAbstract watercolor of several Koshares blending onto one another.eMuseum Notes
Koshares are sacred clowns who participate in the ceremonial dances of the Hopi and several Rio Grande Pueblos. Their actions are playfully disruptive, mimicking less attractive forms of human behavior to provide humorous but pointed social commentary. Emil Bisttram uses their customary black-and-white stripes to further animate this acrobatic jumble of contrasting lines and bodily forms.
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