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Kachina doll
Arizona
Tasap Katsina – Navajo spirit Kachina doll
Hopi
Circa 1920
Carved wood (cottonwood root) and pigments
Height: 20.5 cm – 8 in.
Sold
Kachina 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 pedagogical tool allowing them to familiarize themselves with the spiritual world and perpetuating knowledge of the founding myths on which their society was based.
According to Barton Wright, Tasap Kachina appears in ceremonial dances on all three Hopi mesas. This spirit is a favorite of the Hopi who dance it frequently. It depicts the Navajo neighbors of the Hopi. The red pigments on top of the mask are a reminiscence of the war paint that the Navajo wore on the battlefield to impress their opponents.
For the Hopi, this kachina spirit is meant to capture any latent power or good luck that the Navajo people have. If the Hopi succeed in coaxing this Navajo kachina spirit, this will reflect on the entire village and strengthen the character of its inhabitants.
According to Barton Wright, Tasap Kachina appears in ceremonial dances on all three Hopi mesas. This spirit is a favorite of the Hopi who dance it frequently. It depicts the Navajo neighbors of the Hopi. The red pigments on top of the mask are a reminiscence of the war paint that the Navajo wore on the battlefield to impress their opponents.
For the Hopi, this kachina spirit is meant to capture any latent power or good luck that the Navajo people have. If the Hopi succeed in coaxing this Navajo kachina spirit, this will reflect on the entire village and strengthen the character of its inhabitants.
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