North America | Arizona
Katsina doll
Arizona
An exceptional Situlilu Katsina – Guard / Rattlesnake Katsina doll
Hopi
Circa 1880-1890
Carved wood (cottonwood) and pigments, nails
Height: 39 cm – 15 ¼ in.
Provenance
Collection Barry Walsh (Buffalo Barry’s Indian Art), USA
Private collection, San Francisco, acquired from the above
Collection Gary Spratt, USA
Sold
Katsina dolls (or Katsinam) represent spirits or gods from the pantheon of the Pueblo peoples in the American Southwest. Given to children, kachina dolls constituted a teaching tool allowing them to familiarize themselves with the spiritual world and perpetuating knowledge of the founding myths on which their society was based.
This 19th century carved figure is the exceptionally rare and ancient representation of a Katsina Spirit and dancer called Situlilu, sometimes referred to as Sitununu, Situlili, or formerly Citulilü.
The prefix ‘Si’ means ‘of Zuni origin’ in the Hopi language. The name of this Spirit may refer to the rattlesnake (‘Cetola’ in Zuni), as depicted on the forehead of the present figure.
Situlilu often appears as a Guard in both the Pachavu and the Powamyu Ceremonies. His actions are characterized by rather sudden movements followed by pauses as he surveys his surroundings. See Barton Wright's "Kachinas: A Hopi Artist’s Documentary" (1973) for a full description of Situlilu Katsina dances as well as , as Fewkes's "21st Annual Report of the Smithsonian Institution" (1903).
This 19th century carved figure is the exceptionally rare and ancient representation of a Katsina Spirit and dancer called Situlilu, sometimes referred to as Sitununu, Situlili, or formerly Citulilü.
The prefix ‘Si’ means ‘of Zuni origin’ in the Hopi language. The name of this Spirit may refer to the rattlesnake (‘Cetola’ in Zuni), as depicted on the forehead of the present figure.
Situlilu often appears as a Guard in both the Pachavu and the Powamyu Ceremonies. His actions are characterized by rather sudden movements followed by pauses as he surveys his surroundings. See Barton Wright's "Kachinas: A Hopi Artist’s Documentary" (1973) for a full description of Situlilu Katsina dances as well as , as Fewkes's "21st Annual Report of the Smithsonian Institution" (1903).
Explore the entire collection
