Identifying Kachina Dolls Values & Meanings Guide
Instead, they signify an important connection between Southwestern Native American tribes and the powers of nature. They were sold to tourists beginning in the 1800s and continue to be a very collectible type of Native American art. Kachina dolls, also knowns as katsina dolls, are symbolic and ceremonial Native American gifts. Traditionally given to Hopi girls during infancy and as they grow up, the dolls are a significant aspect of Native American culture. Understanding the history, meaning, and value of these dolls is an important part of really appreciating their beauty. Kachina, Hopi katsina, in traditional religions of the Pueblo Indians of North America, any of more than 500 divine and ancestral spirit beings who interact with humans.
Men of the tribe would dress up as these Ketsinam during ceremonies and perform dances, and the carved dolls symbolize the various Ketsinam. Many Pueblo Indians, particularly the Hopi and Zuni, have ceremonies in which masked men, called kachinas, play an important role. Masked members of the tribe dress up as kachinas for religious ceremonies that take place many times throughout the year. These ceremonies are social occasions for the village, where friends cami79677347 twitter and relatives are able to come from neighboring towns to see the dance and partake in the feasts that are always prepared. When a Hopi man places a mask upon his head and wears the appropriate costume and body paint, his personal identity is lost and the spirit of the kachina he is supposed to represent takes its place. Besides the male kachinas are many female kachinas called kachin-manas, but women never take the part of male or female kachinas.
Buy with your heart, but do so only after you have taken the time to educate yourself. Always make sure wear is consistent with human usage and not from mechanical aging, which is a common practice in making old-style fakes, sandpaper being the most common tool. Fine scrape marks made from sandpaper along the face or areas that would not normally occur from handling are red flags, especially if the so-called damage has a consistent appearance. Zuni Rain Priest Kachina Doll – Accompanies the Shalako to bring rain. Road Runner Kachina Doll – Assists in bringing rain and wards off witchcraft to protect homes. Rainbow Kachina Doll – Represents peace and harmony thought the tribes.
The figures are then painted, dressed in traditional fabrics and embellished with feathers, stones and other culturally appropriate decorations in the traditional style. Kachina dolls produced for the tourist and collector’s markets are available in sizes that range from miniatures of six inches or less to full-size versions of 12 inches or greater. We have Katsinam carved by more than 100 Hopi carvers at virtually any time. Southwest Native Indian tribes had Kachina spirit for every purpose , so it’s not surprising that today we count around 900 Kachinas. When Kachina ceremony was occurring in village plaza, each masked Indian dancer presented a type of Kachina. This imitative animal dance was usually interrupted by clown’s performances.
Hemis, in essence, serves to increase one’s luck and encourage good fortune. Non-Hopi people interested in purchasing this doll will have to do so without the back and top of the mask due to US Federal regulations regarding the sale of Hemis Kachinas. Instead, they are usually hung on walls or displayed proudly in the home. They get passed down from generation to generation, staying in families for hundreds of years. After the spring planting season ends, the Kachinas return to the spirit world.
The Tithu is a fully developed kachina doll that depicts the end of the child’s weaning period. The rings are thought to be magical, representing the circle of life. Kokopelli has been incorporated into a number of native American art forms, including jewelry and pottery. Kachina dolls gained popularity in the late 1800s after Dr. Palmer, a U.S. Army surgeon, collected a kachina doll and presented it to the National Museum. It captivated military personnel and government agents, and it increased public interest in the Hopis.