Native American, Southwestern USA, Arizona or New Mexico, Hopi Peoples, ca. 1920s CE. A hand-carved and hand-painted polychrome katsina (kachina) figure, the body carved from a single piece of wood, with separately carved and attached ears and nose, and very slight remains of feather attachments on the head. This type of Katsina doll is an old style Corn Dancer or Corn Maiden carrying blue and yellow ears of corn and designed to aid in the production of corn, a staple of Hope life. Her presence also symbolizes a prayer for corn, and she honors Mother Earth and her remarkable ability to provide sustenance for her children. Size: 7.125" H (18.1 cm)

The Katsinam, supernatural beings who live in the high mountains of the San Francisco Peaks above traditional Hopi territory, speak to the Hopi through costumed dance and song. These dancers emerge from the round ceremonial kivas that are at the center of their communities, singly or in groups, and dance to the music of drums, rattles, and song. Katsina figures (katsina dolls, katsin-tihu), made of cottonwood root, were created to represent them. Cottonwood is culturally symbolic because the cottonwood tree, once abundant in traditional Hopi lands, grows where water flows - thus, looking across a landscape, lines of cottonwood trees denote a water source in the desert. After carving, the figures are painted all over with whitewash, made from kaolin clay, and then painted in brilliant colors. Originally these were done using yucca brushes. Many of them are then decorated with other materials, like feathers, cloth, or fur. Katsina dolls are often given objects to hold which indicate their roles. Kachina dolls are not toys, but are given to young girls, representations of benevolent spirit beings.

Provenance: private Morgan collection, Santa Monica, California, USA

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#137464

Normal surface wear with pigment and feather loss commensurate with age. Old suspension string emerges from verso. Inventory label on back of lower section.