North America | Arizona
Katsina Doll
Arizona
Dress Katsina Doll
Koroasta
Hopi
Arizona, USA
Circa 1920
Carved wood (cottonwood) and pigments
Height: 20 cm – 7 ¾ in.
Provenance
Heritage Auctions, Texas, 16 Sept. 2011, lot 50002
Private collection, USA
White Koroasta Kastina doll 20 cm / Galerie Flak
Price: on request
Katsina dolls (or Katsinam) represent spirits or gods from the pantheon of the Pueblo peoples in the American Southwest. Given to children, Katsina 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 Katsina doll is known as Koroasta or Kwasaitaka (Dress Katsina, Kachina in a tunic). It is distinguished by its beak, which is sometimes rendered using corn fiber elements, or, carved and painted as is the case here). During ceremonial appearances, this Katsina is often dressed in a woman’s dress, despite being regarded as a male spirit. The Koroasta dancer typically carries a hoe and a bag of seeds, which are distributed during ritual performances.
These seeds were considered auspicious, symbolizing the promise of abundant future harvests. For this reason, the Koroasta was highly popular among both the Hopi and the Zuni, where it is known by the closely related name Korosta. This Katsina is intimately associated with the growth of maize.
This Katsina doll is known as Koroasta or Kwasaitaka (Dress Katsina, Kachina in a tunic). It is distinguished by its beak, which is sometimes rendered using corn fiber elements, or, carved and painted as is the case here). During ceremonial appearances, this Katsina is often dressed in a woman’s dress, despite being regarded as a male spirit. The Koroasta dancer typically carries a hoe and a bag of seeds, which are distributed during ritual performances.
These seeds were considered auspicious, symbolizing the promise of abundant future harvests. For this reason, the Koroasta was highly popular among both the Hopi and the Zuni, where it is known by the closely related name Korosta. This Katsina is intimately associated with the growth of maize.
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