North America | Arizona
Katsina Doll
Arizona
Hishot Katsina – “One who no longer appears” Katsina Doll
Hopi
Arizona, USA
Carved wood (cottonwood), pigments
Circa 1910-1920
Height : 23 cm – 9 in.
Provenance
Collection Roland de la Moussaye, Paris
Galerie Flak, Paris prior to 2002
Collection Kenzo Takada, Paris
Aguttes, Paris, 20 Nov. 2009, lot 306
Collection Sheikh Saud Bin Mohammed Bin Ali al-Thani, (1966-2014), Qatar, acquired at the above sale
Kenzo Hishot Katsina Doll 23 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 pedagogical tool allowing them to familiarize themselves with the spiritual world and perpetuating knowledge of the founding myths on which their society was based.
Hopi religious practices and ceremonies are in a constant state of flux. As a result, certain spirits within the Katsina pantheon fade away, while new ritual figures occasionally emerge over time. When a Katsina spirit is no longer summoned during dance ceremonies, its memory gradually recedes.
This explains why identifying certain Katsinam can prove particularly arduous. These figures, who no longer take part in the dances, are known by the generic name Hishot (or Hishat) Katsinam — "the Ones who No Longer Appear".
Hopi religious practices and ceremonies are in a constant state of flux. As a result, certain spirits within the Katsina pantheon fade away, while new ritual figures occasionally emerge over time. When a Katsina spirit is no longer summoned during dance ceremonies, its memory gradually recedes.
This explains why identifying certain Katsinam can prove particularly arduous. These figures, who no longer take part in the dances, are known by the generic name Hishot (or Hishat) Katsinam — "the Ones who No Longer Appear".
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