A. Augustus Healy Fund

This Kachina has not been fully identified. He wears a helmet-style mask painted with zigzag designs and topped with feathers. He wears the cotton dance skirt, yarn ties on top of painted booties and yarn wrappings around his wrists. His snout protrudes, has painted teeth along the sides and a woven ring of plant material dangling from the end.

Museum Expedition 1903, Museum Collection Fund

Great Horned Owl (Mongwu) Kachina Doll with removable mask. Artist probably Henry Shelton based on stylistic characteristics. The unusual, removable owl mask has real feathers and fur on a carved helmet style mask. Yellow circular eyes and yellow beak. The entire Kachina figure without the mask has been carved from one piece of cottonwood root and appears fairly static with PR hand raised and other arm straight down and both legs on the ground. Each hand carries some plants of green stalks with white tips. He wears a carved kilt and has a real hide cape that crosses with a strap in the front and is decorated with shells. The boots are painted on and he wears yarn and hide ties at their tops. The face of the Kachina is painted white with strong features. He has short black hair. He wears a beaded blue and white necklace. Dynamism is achieved when the mask is put over the head. Mongwu appears singly during mixed Kachina night dances (Angka'wa) usually in March. The fur and feathered mask of Mongwu, the Great Horned Owl, is removable on this kachina. Underneath is revealed the intense face of the dancer as seen in the photo. Mongwu performs the role of a sergeant. He carries a whip to indicate he is a discipliner, protector and overseer of the other kachinas. He closely watches the Mudhead kachinas and if they become too rowdy he disciplines them. He appears singly in March night dances where the purpose is to create a pleasant atmosphere for life, encourage growth and bring rains so it is important to maintain a harmony.

Ogre's Uncle (Oötsawihazru) Kachina Doll. This is a tall, slim Kachina with a large, snarling snout, red lips with open, teeth filled jaws. His mask has long, curved, green and black striped horns on either side of the head, and black goggle eyes. The back of his head has a feather bundle and he wears a fur ruff around his neck. He wears western style white pants, a concho belt with studs with turquoise circles painted in them and a purple, tailored shirt with painted white buttons. He wears painted tall, red boots with real yarn ties at the top. His PR hand is raised brandishing a bloody knife. His PL hand carries a bow (broken). He has a real hide cape tied in the front under his PR arm but he is totally carved with details underneath the cape. As an Ogre's Uncle he is a little more patient than the Black Ogres, not as active but still fearsome. Ogres (Soo'so'yoktu) appear during the ceremonies in the last stages of the Powamuya usually held in February depicting the final stages of the world's creation where Kachina spirits are implored to carry out the purification of life.

This cap was part of Brooklyn Museum curator Stewart Culin's personal collection but was originally owned by Frank Hamilton Cushing as part of his own Zuni clothing that he wore. Cushing's acceptance into the Zuni Bow Society was the culmination of his career. Cushing believed the Bow Priesthood to be the most powerful, elaborately organized of all associations. This cap of perforated buckskin is one of the badges of office in the priesthood. It is exceptionally finely crafted.

Kachina doll carrying two dance sticks wearing a painted dance skirt.

Butterfly Girl (Polimana) Kachina. This Kachina has a body carved from one piece of cottonwood root. She wears a large, rayed headdress painted brilliantly with blue, yellow and red stripes and black dots that indicate pollen on the front. The back of the headdress is red with a cluster of feathers on the back of her head and three braided yarns, one each, red, green, white hanging down the back. She stands on both feet and raises her PR arm holding two feathers in each hand. Her clothing is also all carved. She wears a blue dress with darker blue apron with red and green bands on the bottom and a red sash with a broken diamond pattern. She has a short white shawl with red edges around her PL shoulder. Butterfly Girl appears during Angk'wa (night dances). It is a series of colorful dances usually performed with four pairs of maidens and male partners (all kachinas portrayed by males). The Angk'wa is sponsored by a kiva to promote all life-growth.

This kneeling deer has hide antlers and feathers dangling from his chin area. (front right) Remnants of paint are on his body.

Museum Expedition 1907, Museum Collection Fund