ABOUT THIS ARTWORK 
 
For the Hopi Indians, an ancient people of North America, kachinas are effigies of supernatural beings. Dancers and clowns wore masks to tell the stories of these sacred beings, and fathers and uncles presented girls with kachina dolls on festival days to teach them the Hopi way.  Over time, kachina dolls became a popular tourist commodity in the American Southwest, and styles of representation changed to meet the demands of consumers. This Mickey Mouse Kachina is one such example.
 
ARTWORK DETAILS
Artwork title: Mickey Mouse Kachina
Edition: Limited edition of 1000
Proof of Ownership: Certification on the Ethereum blockchain under the ERC1155 protocol. Each artwork is delivered privately and directly to collectors as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) that guarantee proof of ownership.
Format: Pieces consist of PNG files sized 2160x3840 pixels - 150 dpi.
Medium: Sculpture
Artwork Materials: Carved and painted cottonwood, feathers, and string
Contract Address: 0x495f947276749ce646f68ac8c248420045cb7b5e
ID: 2749212597480566...
 
ABOUT THE ARTIST
 
When Disney Studios put Mickey Mouse on the silver screen in the 1930s, the Hopi saw Tusan Homichi, their legendary mouse warrior who defeated a chicken-stealing hawk and saved them from hunger. Was the spirit of Tusan Homichi sent in their dreams to Disney artists, who made Mickey Mouse to battle the Great Depression? The Mickey Mouse Kachina combines Hopi culture and Hollywood: the figure holds a traditional gourd rattle and wears moccasins, but the face has Mickey’s iconic round ears and markings. The artistic intention is clear, but the artist is unknown, as is often the case with kachina dolls.
 
COLLECTION CREDITS
Historical curatorship: HARI - Historical Art Research Institute (HARI Editions)
Artwork: Unidentified
Year of original publication: after 1930
Post-production: HARI - Historical Art Research Institute (HARI Editions)
Digital art supervisor: Marie-Lou Desmeules
Editorial: Braden Phillips
Historical research: Evangelos Rosios, Braden Phillips
Executive production: Victor Zabrockis
 
RIGHTS OVERVIEW
Source of artwork: Smithsonian American Art Museum
Underlying work rights: CC0
Digital copyrights: CC0