Kachina Doll (Anahoho) Item Number: 03.325.4658 from the Brooklyn Museum
Description
This kachina is probably Anahoho- one of two strangers who appeared during the wanderings of the Zuni people. They were guided by the Salimopea (six fierce warrior kachinas) and a fleet of runners. Stories relate that the two brothers were sent out to search for the middle of the Zuni world and when they returned to their brother, Kiako, they found the villages burned. When they did not find their brother they smote their faces with blackened hands in their grief. One smote with his right hand and one with his left. The handprint is on their masks. When these two visitors entered Zuni the people were afraid of the Salimpoea accompanying them and put their objects on their rooftops and fled. The Anahoho peered into the chimneys giving their mournful cry still looking for their brother and while the Salimopea threw down the possessions from the rooftops where people had placed them and then the Salimopea stomped on and destroyted them. To this day Anahoho continue searching for their lost brother, never finding him but sending the souls of men's possessions into the afterworld. Their name prefix "Ana" reflects their mournful cry. The small sticks they carry, or yamuwe, are for exorcism and the black fringe around their neck represents crow wings. When time for exorcism they lay aside the sticks and use yucca whips.This kachina doll has a helmet style mask with a handprint for a face and squash blossoms for ears. He wears a black bib and carries feathered wands in each hand. He also wears a fringed dance skirt. The original name Salimpopea Anahoho Shikjana comes from the Culin journals and is a combination of the two kachinas, the Anahoho and the Salimopea Shikan'ona who accompanied them.
Label
This kachina doll represents one of the Anahoho Kachinas, a pair of strangers sent by the gods to search for the middle of the Zuni world. They were accompanied by fierce Salimopea Kachina warriors. People were afraid of the warriors and hid their possessions on the rooftops, but the Salimopea threw the belongings down and destroyed them. When the Anahoho returned to their village, they found it burned and their brother Kiako missing. In sorrow they smote their faces with soot-blackened hands, leaving a handprint, as seen here.
Esta muñeca kachina representa uno de los Kachinas Anahoho, un par de desconocidos enviados por los dioses para encontrar el centro del mundo Zuni. Iban acompañados por los fieros guerreros Kachina Salimopea. La gente le temía a los guerreros, y escondieron sus pertenencias en los techos, pero los Salimopea las bajaron y las destruyeron. Cuando los Anahoho regresaron a su pueblo, lo encontraron quemado y a su hermano Kiako desaparecido. Desconsolados, se golpearon las caras con las manos sucias de hollín, dejando una huella, como se ve aquí.
Credit Line
Museum Expedition 1903, Museum Collection Fund
Item History
- Made between 1868 and 1899
What
- Name
- Kachina Doll (Anahoho)
- Identification Number
- 03.325.4658
- Type of Item
- doll
- Material
- wood, pigment, feather and cotton fabric
- Overall
- length 14.75 in, width 6.75 in, height 8.0 in
Who
- Culture
- She-we-na
Where
- Holding Institution
- Brooklyn Museum
When
- Creation Date
- between 1868 and 1899
Other
- Classification
- Sculpture