Native American Hopi Made Coil Plaque with Butterfly Maiden

On Second Mesa the Hopi weavers specialize in Hopi Coil basketry. Hopi coiled baskets are woven by wrapping bundles of plant material with a single piece of plant material usually yucca. The colors are usually limited to white, yellow, green, red, and black. Designs you often find on these beautiful baskets are Katsina, animals, blankets, and geometric designs. This coil features the Butterfly Maiden (Palhik Mana), not a Katsina, but a woman dancer. The Butterfly Dance, a traditional social dance of the Hopi, is held in August after the gathering of the harvest. It is a thanksgiving dance for the harvest, chiefly for the corn crop, and features dancing by young Hopi maidens wearing elaborate headdresses.