Mavasta Honyouti is a skilled Hopi Katsina carver from Hotevilla Third Mesa; He is Ronald Honyouti’s son and Clyde Honyouti’s Grandson, both skilled Hopi Katsina carvers.  He is well known for his scenes carved in low-relief.  This piece is entitled, “Kokosorhoya”.  It is carved from cottonwood root.  The lid is a Kokosorhoya or “Fire God”.   Kokoyosori stands on the lid of the jar with carved designs. The base of the piece has two rows of 12 squares.  They alternate between katsinas and Hopi designs.  This is the exceptional and very creative part to this carving.  Check out all the different katsinas Mavasta has carved, along with the multi-dimensional prayer feathers.  This is one of those pieces that you have to take time to look at all the levels of designs and imagery as the piece is turned.   AMAZING!  The piece is painted after the carving. It is signed, “M. Honyouti”.

It is said of the Kokosorhoya:

“The Kokosori wears a loincloth and ruff around his neck. He wears a simulated ketoh on his left wrist and an evergreen bough on his feet. Draped under his loincloth in the back is an embroidered Hopi sash. He has the look of innocence and wonderment. It is one of the oldest recorded kachinas for the Hopis, as Dr. Ten Broeck saw him in 1852 at First Mesa. He appears in other pueblos but is probably best known in Zuni where his name is Shulawitsi. It is this tie with Zuni that brings his appearance on First Mesa with other Zuni kachinas in the Pamuiti Ceremony described by Fewkes (1903:27).” The Zuni Shulawitsi is almost an exact duplicate of the Hopi Kokosori, but they are not related to each other.  The name of Kokoshoya and comes with the Chief Kachinas in their appearance after the story-telling of the Sikyaqőqőqolom (the Yellow Qőqőle) at Powamu. On Third Mesa the small figure of Kokosori is said to accompany Aholi and Eototo.” (Wright,1973:20)”