Description

Late Hopi carver Jocelyn Vote, one of only a handful of female carvers from the Pueblo, created this stunning piece, called Tocha, or Hummingbird, entirely by hand.  Tocha stands atop a wooden base, one foot lifted and extending slightly forward, as if walking, its moccasins painted turquoise with yellow and red accents.  Tocha holds a rattle in one hand and a feather topped staff in the other, one wrist carved with what looks like rope and the other, a bow guard. Tocha’s face exhibits a long beak, like that of a hummingbird, extending outward, an actual carved hummingbird painted in various colors atop its head, with the head accented in turquoise and red.  Tocha is finished with carved garments around the waist, along with a sash accented in green, red, blue, white and black, and fox tails along its rear.  9″ tall x 2 1/8″ wide x 3 1/8″ deep.  The piece, carved from cottonwood root, is signed by Jocelyn along with the year it was created, 1996.