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• Fred Kabotie (Hopi, 1900-1986)
• About 1930s
• Watercolor on paper
• Gift of Benjamin F. and Sarah A. Crane, 2022.247

This painting depicts the Niman ceremony, which takes place after the summer solstice at the end of the first harvest. It celebrates the time when katsinam or deities return to the spirit world. Dancers in the ceremony wear clothes that represent various symbols related to rain and the harvest. For example, the tiered elements on the top of the dancers’ heads symbolize rain clouds, and the zig-zagged extensions on the heads represent lightning. The Niman ceremony also honors women who have married during that year. In the center of the painting is a group of women receiving wedding congratulations.