“Left Handed” — Sterling Silver Katsina Sculpture by Jeffrey Castillo
Most hunters learn the proper way to hold a bow. This one appears to have heard the instructions, considered them carefully, and decided they were somebody else’s problem.
Jeffrey Castillo’s Left Handed is not simply a katsina rendered in miniature—it is a complete silver character. Standing squarely on its stamped pedestal, bow extended in one hand and its companion implement in the other, the figure possesses the wonderfully strange dignity of someone who knows exactly what he is doing even if nobody else does. Castillo builds that personality from folded, formed, engraved, stamped, oxidized, and hand-fabricated sterling silver. No turquoise. No distraction. Just shape, gesture, shadow, and an extraordinary amount of attitude.
Why This Piece Matters
Jeffrey Castillo, a Diné/Navajo artist born in 1949, is particularly recognized for his hand-fabricated sterling silver katsina figures. His sculptures transform traditional silversmithing techniques into three-dimensional works with individual identities, equipment, regalia, and movement.
This example is especially satisfying because Castillo titled it himself: “Left Handed,” inscribed beneath the base. The identification corresponds to Siyangephoya, commonly called the Left-Handed Katsina—an accomplished hunter distinguished by carrying his equipment contrary to the expected arrangement. The subject is documented in collections including the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian and the Autry Museum. (NMAI, Autry Museum)
The result is a proper work of miniature sculpture: culturally grounded, unmistakably handmade, and just strange enough to become the most interesting person in whatever room you place him.
Artifact Registry
- Artist: Jeffrey Castillo
- Cultural affiliation: Diné/Navajo
- Artist-inscribed title: Left Handed
- Object: Freestanding katsina sculpture
- Materials: Sterling silver
- Construction: Hand-fabricated, formed, soldered, stamped, engraved, pierced, and selectively oxidized silver
- Signature: Script signature reading “Jeffrey Castillo”
- Additional marks: “STERLING” and hand-inscribed “Left Handed” beneath the base
- Weight: 66.9 grams
- Dimensions: Approximately 4 inches tall and 2¼ inches across at the arms; square base approximately 1¾ inches
- Date: Late 20th to early 21st century
- Condition: Wonderful naturally developed patina with visible surface wear consistent with age and handling. No obvious repairs are visible in the supplied photographs.
- Collector’s Gallery Value: $1985
Curator’s Field Observation
The artistry here is in the construction. Castillo has built the figure almost architecturally: a cylindrical mask, flared headdress, separately formed ears, articulated arms, tiny hands wrapped around individual implements, overlapping garment panels, dimensional boots, and a raised pedestal bordered with delicate stamped decoration.
Look at the silhouette from the side. The extended bow, bent elbows, projecting face, wrapped garment, and staggered feet prevent the figure from becoming a flat silver souvenir. He occupies actual space. From behind, the sweeping diagonal mantle turns the body into a piece of abstract modernist sculpture; from the front, the pierced geometric features immediately return him to character.
The darkened recesses and accumulated patina are particularly good. They clarify the construction and give the sculpture an age and gravity that a newly polished example simply would not possess.
Artifact Character Record
- Name: Left Handed
- Occupation: Hunter, rule-questioner, quiet menace
- Posture: Alert, balanced, and very deliberately equipped
- Temperament: Focused, unconventional, entirely unbothered
- Special ability: Making backward look suspiciously correct
- Natural habitat: A serious collection with at least one excellent sense of humor
Eric’s Notes From the Field
This is why I love objects that refuse to behave like categories. Yes, it is sterling silver. Yes, it is Native-made. Yes, it depicts a katsina. But the thing that makes it irresistible is that Jeffrey Castillo managed to give 66.9 grams of silver a complete personality.
He is solemn, charming, slightly peculiar, and clearly armed—basically my preferred combination in both art and people.
“Left Handed” — Sterling Silver Katsina Sculpture by Jeffrey Castillo
Most hunters learn the proper way to hold a bow. This one appears to have heard the instructions, considered them carefully, and decided they were somebody else’s problem.
Jeffrey Castillo’s Left Handed is not simply a katsina rendered in miniature—it is a complete silver character. Standing squarely on its stamped pedestal, bow extended in one hand and its companion implement in the other, the figure possesses the wonderfully strange dignity of someone who knows exactly what he is doing even if nobody else does. Castillo builds that personality from folded, formed, engraved, stamped, oxidized, and hand-fabricated sterling silver. No turquoise. No distraction. Just shape, gesture, shadow, and an extraordinary amount of attitude.
Why This Piece Matters
Jeffrey Castillo, a Diné/Navajo artist born in 1949, is particularly recognized for his hand-fabricated sterling silver katsina figures. His sculptures transform traditional silversmithing techniques into three-dimensional works with individual identities, equipment, regalia, and movement.
This example is especially satisfying because Castillo titled it himself: “Left Handed,” inscribed beneath the base. The identification corresponds to Siyangephoya, commonly called the Left-Handed Katsina—an accomplished hunter distinguished by carrying his equipment contrary to the expected arrangement. The subject is documented in collections including the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian and the Autry Museum. (NMAI, Autry Museum)
The result is a proper work of miniature sculpture: culturally grounded, unmistakably handmade, and just strange enough to become the most interesting person in whatever room you place him.
Artifact Registry
- Artist: Jeffrey Castillo
- Cultural affiliation: Diné/Navajo
- Artist-inscribed title: Left Handed
- Object: Freestanding katsina sculpture
- Materials: Sterling silver
- Construction: Hand-fabricated, formed, soldered, stamped, engraved, pierced, and selectively oxidized silver
- Signature: Script signature reading “Jeffrey Castillo”
- Additional marks: “STERLING” and hand-inscribed “Left Handed” beneath the base
- Weight: 66.9 grams
- Dimensions: Approximately 4 inches tall and 2¼ inches across at the arms; square base approximately 1¾ inches
- Date: Late 20th to early 21st century
- Condition: Wonderful naturally developed patina with visible surface wear consistent with age and handling. No obvious repairs are visible in the supplied photographs.
- Collector’s Gallery Value: $1985
Curator’s Field Observation
The artistry here is in the construction. Castillo has built the figure almost architecturally: a cylindrical mask, flared headdress, separately formed ears, articulated arms, tiny hands wrapped around individual implements, overlapping garment panels, dimensional boots, and a raised pedestal bordered with delicate stamped decoration.
Look at the silhouette from the side. The extended bow, bent elbows, projecting face, wrapped garment, and staggered feet prevent the figure from becoming a flat silver souvenir. He occupies actual space. From behind, the sweeping diagonal mantle turns the body into a piece of abstract modernist sculpture; from the front, the pierced geometric features immediately return him to character.
The darkened recesses and accumulated patina are particularly good. They clarify the construction and give the sculpture an age and gravity that a newly polished example simply would not possess.
Artifact Character Record
- Name: Left Handed
- Occupation: Hunter, rule-questioner, quiet menace
- Posture: Alert, balanced, and very deliberately equipped
- Temperament: Focused, unconventional, entirely unbothered
- Special ability: Making backward look suspiciously correct
- Natural habitat: A serious collection with at least one excellent sense of humor
Eric’s Notes From the Field
This is why I love objects that refuse to behave like categories. Yes, it is sterling silver. Yes, it is Native-made. Yes, it depicts a katsina. But the thing that makes it irresistible is that Jeffrey Castillo managed to give 66.9 grams of silver a complete personality.
He is solemn, charming, slightly peculiar, and clearly armed—basically my preferred combination in both art and people.
