Vintage Hopi Kachina figure. Cottonwood. Multicolor. Handmade. 14
Exact age is uncertain, though it is estimated to be circa 1930 as the arms do not extend from the sides but the center (the center of those between 1880 to 1910 have hands close in at the same area) making this a rather rare kachina. Those from this time period and after extend from the sides (more in the 1940's, more in the 1950's).
Excellent condition for its age with significant aging and wear of the feather on the head. Paint shows lesser aging and wear of the paint. One foot has a tiny nick, there is a manufacturing flaw under one arm which may have been a nick in the wood when being made, and both hands appear to have held feathers which are now missing.
The figure wears a thin double knotted green strand of yarn on both wrists, and it stands 14 tall. Black, white, orange, and green. History: Hopi katsina figures (Hopi language: tithu or katsintithu), also known as kachina dolls are figures carved, typically from cottonwood root, by Hopi people to instruct young girls and new brides about katsinas or katsinam, the immortal beings that bring rain, control other aspects of the natural world and society, and act as messengers between humans and the spirit world. The katsinas are known to be the spirits of deities, natural elements or animals, or the deceased ancestors of the Hopi. Prior to each katsina ceremony, the men of the village will spend days studiously making figures in the likeness of the katsinam represented in that particular ceremony.
The figures are then passed on to the daughters of the village by the Giver Kachina during the ceremony. Following the ceremony, the figures are hung on the walls of the pueblo and are meant to be studied in order to learn the characteristics of that certain Kachina. This item is in the category "Collectibles\Cultures & Ethnicities\Native American: US\1935-Now\Dolls & Kachinas".neo" and is located in this country: US. This item can be shipped worldwide.- Handmade: Yes
- Modified Item: No
- Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
- Type: Kachina
- Culture: Hopi
- Artisan: S.
- Provenance: Ownership History Not Available
- Origin: Hand Crafted
- Tribal Affiliation: Hopi