Old Style Hopi Carved Tobacco Flower Traditional Kachina Doll (Katsina Doll)

Description

Native American Hopi Carved Tobacco Flower Katsina Doll by Lorren "Kwiits" Talashoma

The Tobacco Flower (Tsitoto) is an ancient Katsina who appears on all three mesas in many ceremonies. The Tobacco Flower Katsina brings flowers, pleasantness and great beauty. The many bands of color and the multicolored feathers provide a rainbow-like appearance and he looks like a walking prayer for summer. However, one of his functions seems to purification. In this role he carries a small bunch of yucca blades and strikes each individual that he meets a rather firm blow, whether it be a child or adult, Hopi or Anglo. The Katsina appears during Water Serpent Ceremony, Mixed Dances, Bean Dance (Powamuya) and Angk'wa.