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Katsina doll
Arizona
Patung Katsina – Squash katsina doll
Hopi
Carved wood, pigments, dried gourd
Circa 1960s-1970s
Height: 42 cm – 16 ½ in.
Provenance
Ex collection Jockey Billy Pearson (1920-2002), acquired in the 1980s
Thence by descent in the Pearson family
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Katsina dolls (kachina) represent spirits or gods from the pantheon of the Pueblo peoples in the American Southwest. Given to children, katsina dolls constituted a pedagogical tool allowing them to familiarize themselves with the spiritual world and perpetuating knowledge of the founding myths on which their society was based.
Patung (Squash) is one of the Runner Katsinam from the First Mesa. Plants are of great importance to the Hopi, whose food resources are scarce. As such, many Katsinam in the pantheon refer to plants.
Patung has inspired many artists of the 20th century, most notably Marc Chagall. In 1945 in New York, Chagall and his daughter Ida created three sets, a curtain, and over eighty costumes for Igor Stravinsky's ballet The Firebird. Several of these costumes were inspired by those of Katsina dancers, as can be seen in Chagall's preparatory drawing Green Monster with Black Stripes (reproduced above), which closely resembles the Patung Katsina.
In 2018 at the Tate Gallery in London, contemporary artist Anthea Hamilton presented an installation - performance featuring dancers wearing Katsinam-inspired costumes. Hamilton based her work on a choreography by Erick Hawkins from the 1960s, which also featured a Squash character.
Patung (Squash) is one of the Runner Katsinam from the First Mesa. Plants are of great importance to the Hopi, whose food resources are scarce. As such, many Katsinam in the pantheon refer to plants.
Patung has inspired many artists of the 20th century, most notably Marc Chagall. In 1945 in New York, Chagall and his daughter Ida created three sets, a curtain, and over eighty costumes for Igor Stravinsky's ballet The Firebird. Several of these costumes were inspired by those of Katsina dancers, as can be seen in Chagall's preparatory drawing Green Monster with Black Stripes (reproduced above), which closely resembles the Patung Katsina.
In 2018 at the Tate Gallery in London, contemporary artist Anthea Hamilton presented an installation - performance featuring dancers wearing Katsinam-inspired costumes. Hamilton based her work on a choreography by Erick Hawkins from the 1960s, which also featured a Squash character.
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