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Kachina Doll
Arizona
Hopi
Chakwaina Yuadta Katsina – Female warrior Kachina doll
Carved wood (cottonwood) and natural pigments
Circa 1900s-1910s
Height: 9 ¾ in. (25 cm)
Ex Christie’s New York, 12 January 2006 lot 44
Sold
This kachina female spirit is a member of the Chakwaina family, precisely a maternal figure called Chakwaina Yuadta.
Tsa'kwayna or Chakwaina is a highly respected warrior spirit. He appears during kiva dances in March. He is said to bring cold weather and snow hence replenishing Hopi springs.
Chakwaina is sometimes referred to as Esteban the Moor among the Hopi and neighboring Pueblo peoples. This relates to a historical event which happened during the Spanish "Conquista" in the 1530s when a Moor slave by the name of Esteban was sent as a scout for the Spanish army. The legend claims he was among the search party for the Seven Cities of Cibola (the fabled “Eldorado”). His actual mission was to prepare the arrival of the troops and ensure steady supply of food and shelter for the Spanish. According to Zuni oral history, Esteban violated a sacred boundary upon entering a village by crossing a votive line of corn pollen.
Tsa'kwayna or Chakwaina is a highly respected warrior spirit. He appears during kiva dances in March. He is said to bring cold weather and snow hence replenishing Hopi springs.
Chakwaina is sometimes referred to as Esteban the Moor among the Hopi and neighboring Pueblo peoples. This relates to a historical event which happened during the Spanish "Conquista" in the 1530s when a Moor slave by the name of Esteban was sent as a scout for the Spanish army. The legend claims he was among the search party for the Seven Cities of Cibola (the fabled “Eldorado”). His actual mission was to prepare the arrival of the troops and ensure steady supply of food and shelter for the Spanish. According to Zuni oral history, Esteban violated a sacred boundary upon entering a village by crossing a votive line of corn pollen.
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