Hopi Kachina Dolls: With a Key to Their Identification by Harold S. Colton

Description

"In addition to a concise statement of the Hopi religion and the role of the Kachina dolls in it, [Hopi Kachina Dolls] contains drawings of the masks and a short description of the costumes for 250 kachinas. The role of each in the ceremonies is also given."--Southwestern Lore

A Hopi Indian will tell you that a Katsina is a supernatural being who is personated by a man wearing a mask. Small wooden dolls carved in the likenesses of the various Katsinam are used to help teach Hopi children their spiritual practices and traditions. Each child receives a doll made especially for him or her by male relatives. The children treasure the doll and study it so that they can learn to recognize and respect the host of Katsinam that people the Hopi world.
Katsinam are difficult to classify because different Hopi villages have differing ideas about their appearance and their functions. The late Dr. Harold S. Colton identified 266 different Katsina dolls, and in this book he describes the meaning, the making, and the principal features of all of them. Each type of doll is pictured in a simplified line drawing. There is also an illustrated key to help the collector identify the various types. Call for wholesale pricing.