Skip to Main Content

Koshare Contest

c. 1920s
(American, 1895–1955)
(Native American, San Ildefonso Pueblo, c. 1885–1943)
America, Native America, San Ildefonso pueblo, Early 20th century
watercolor
Page: 57.5 x 36.5 cm (22 5/8 x 14 3/8 in.)
Educational Purchase Fund 1928.314
Location: not on view
This artwork is known to be under copyright.

Download, Print and Share

Description

This painting depicts the pole climb that occurs every year during the San Gerónimo Feast Day in Taos Pueblo, New Mexico. The striped characters clambering up the pole toward a treasure are koshare (co-shar-eh), the sacred clowns of Pueblo religion. Like European American clowns, koshare provide comic entertainment, but they are much more complex. For instance, they behave in exaggerated ways that turn social norms upside down, thus highlighting and reinforcing the norms.
Koshare Contest

Koshare Contest

c. 1920s

Awa Tsireh, Julián Martinez

(American, 1895–1955), (Native American, San Ildefonso Pueblo, c. 1885–1943)
America, Native America, San Ildefonso pueblo, Early 20th century

See Also

Visually Similar Artworks

Contact us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.