Here is a beautiful vintage kachina from the Pooley family. This Corn Maiden measures 2.25" in height. The colors include white, black, red, yellow, and turquoise. The word "Corn Maiden" appears on the bottom and is signed G. Pooley. That would be George Pooley of the very well-known Pooley family. I bought this (and a lot of others) at an estate sale in Northeast Albuquerque.

Based on its tiny 2.25-inch size (known to collectors as a "micro-miniature"), this piece is likely from the late 1970s to the 1980s. As George Pooley grew more experienced, he mastered the highly difficult skill of carving detailed figures at a fraction of the standard size, making his micro-miniatures highly collectible.

George Pooley was one of the most prolific and celebrated artists of the Pooley family. He learned the art of traditional carving from his father, Emil Pooley, an acclaimed Hopi master carver. George bridged the gap between traditional Hopi carving and commercial folk art. He was incredibly skilled at working with cottonwood root on a miniature scale. His signatures ("G. Pooley") are highly respected in the Southwest art market because his pieces always maintain clean lines, vibrant colors, and balanced proportions, even when they are only two inches tall.

The Corn Maiden (Kachin' Mana) is one of the most revered and foundational figures in Hopi culture. Corn is the lifeblood of the Hopi people, representing sustenance, spiritual purity, and life itself. The Corn Maiden symbolizes a fruitful harvest, growth, and the divine feminine.

On a George Pooley miniature, the Corn Maiden is instantly recognizable by her traditional hair whorls (the "butterfly" hairstyle worn by unmarried Hopi women) carved into the sides of her head. She also typically features a stepped tableta (headpiece) or a flat facial block painted with symbols of corn kernels, rain, or clouds using the yellow, red, and turquoise palette.

Genuine Pooley dolls are strictly hand-carved from cottonwood root, as is this one. Cottonwood is incredibly lightweight and soft, with no prominent heavy woodgrain lines. If it feels deceptively light for its size, it is a strong indicator of real cottonwood root.

Even though these were made for the tourist trade, the Pooleys stayed true to traditional Hopi color directional symbolism: yellow represents the North, blue/turquoise represents the West, red represents the South, and white represents the East.

This kachina is an excellent example of "Native kitsch" or Southwest roadside culture. Decades ago, the Pooley family purposefully designed these smaller, simplified dolls so they could be sold affordably to tourists without infringing on or exposing highly sacred, private religious Katsinam used in the Hopi mesas. Today, these "Route 66 style" Pooley dolls have shifted from cheap souvenirs into highly sought-after folk art collectibles.

Condition: Excellent. There appears to be no color loss on this kachina. There is a tiny hole in the top of her head where feathers might once have been placed, although feathers are more of a Navajo piece than a Hopi. I have photos of every side of the kachina in the photo gallery! Photos in the photo gallery can be viewed at a higher magnification. 
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All items come from my personal collections

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