North America | Arizona
Katsina Doll
Arizona
Snow Katsina Doll
Nuvak
Hopi
Arizona, USA
Circa 1900
Carved wood (cottonwood) and pigments
Height: 29.5 cm – 11 ½ in.
Provenance
Collection Steve Nelson, California
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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.
As Barton Wright notes (Kachina Spirit, 2003), Nuvak (Snow) Katsina is said to bring heavy snows to Hopi land from his home on the San Francisco Peaks. He comes on several occasions, Bean Dance, Mixed Dance, and the Water Serpent Dance. The decoration on his face closely resembles one of the Hilili with the only difference being the presence of a snout rather than a wide mouth. He appears most often on First Mesa but may be one that is languishing as the dance has not been given in some time.
As Barton Wright notes (Kachina Spirit, 2003), Nuvak (Snow) Katsina is said to bring heavy snows to Hopi land from his home on the San Francisco Peaks. He comes on several occasions, Bean Dance, Mixed Dance, and the Water Serpent Dance. The decoration on his face closely resembles one of the Hilili with the only difference being the presence of a snout rather than a wide mouth. He appears most often on First Mesa but may be one that is languishing as the dance has not been given in some time.
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