Kachina Figure

Item number D4.114 from the MOA: University of British Columbia.

Public

Item Records

This page shows all the information we have about this item. Both the institution that physically holds this item, and RRN members have contributed the knowledge on this page. You’re looking at the item record provided by the holding institution. If you scroll further down the page, you’ll see the information from RRN members, and can share your own knowledge too.

The RRN processes the information it receives from each institution to make it more readable and easier to search. If you’re doing in-depth research on this item, be sure to take a look at the Data Source tab to see the information exactly as it was provided by the institution.

These records are easy to share because each has a unique web address. You can copy and paste the location from your browser’s address bar into an email, word document, or chat message to share this item with others.

Data
Data Source

This information was automatically generated from data provided by MOA: University of British Columbia. It has been standardized to aid in finding and grouping information within the RRN. Accuracy and meaning should be verified from the Data Source tab.

Description

Standing Kachina figure with fanned feathers attached at back of head. Figure has a blue face with geometric features, orange ears, pink, blue and yellow torso with orange sash, white skirt with black geometric motif border and orange, blue and black sash around waist, and orange feet with a band of blue on one leg, and a band of yellow on the other.

History Of Use

The Hopi and many of the Pueblos of the American Southwest retain a belief in Katsinam or Kachina, supernatural spirits that control conditions, beings and actions in the world of the living. The Katsinam and the dead live in a parallel world, emerging into the world of the living at set times between mid-December and mid-July to assist people to maintain a harmoniously balanced cosmos. Katsinam figures show the principal characteristic of each of the spirits taking part in the annual round of masquerades and dances that reaffirm the links between living communities and the spirits. The figures, seen more as toys, are given to girls by dancers during the ceremonies.