Hopi Kachina dolls

The Hopi have over 250 different kachinas.  Of these, there are less than 100 that are found being carved by modern carvers.  Living in an area that receives less than 12” of rain a year, the Hopi struggle to farm their lands.  Their greatest concern is water, of course.  Good crops mean the difference between starving and existing.

Rituals have been developed over the centuries to bring the blessings of the rainmakers to the Hopi crops.  The Kachinas (Hopis dressed like them) perform ceremonies to bring about spiritual blessings and a successful harvest.  The Kachinas are thought to be supernatural beings that come to the villages from their home at the foot of the San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff, Arizona.

The original Kachina dolls were used as educational tools to teach the younger generation the appropriate rituals.  Today, these carvings have turned into an art form.  Kachina dolls are highly valued possessions and are displays in the homes of the Hopi as well as the anglos.  In the Hopi home, the dolls are hung on walls or rafters to help children learn to identify the distinctive mask and costume of each Kachina spirit.

Carvers of Kachinas always use cottonwood root since the grain of the wood plays an important role in the final design.  Colors vary from soft and muted to loud and bright.  Most carvers today carve feathers and a higher quality Kachina should be all one piece.

Kachinas carved today bear no resemblance to the older versions.  They depict action of the Kachinas in their dances, showing muscles and even fingernails.  The carvers of today demonstrate artistic expression and creativity of the individual, making it an exciting time to own a kachina.

True Hopi Kachinas are always carved out of cottonwood tree root .  A Kachina has three aspects, the supernatural being as he exists for the Hopis, the masked actor who appears in the kivas and the plazas and the small dolls carved in the same likeness which are called kachina dolls.

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