Doll made of painted wood, with fur beard, hair and waist-band, coloured wool wrist-band on each arm and a figure of a child on his back. Right arm raised.
Kachina means 'life-bringer.' Among the Hopi people these dolls are traditionally made by uncles and given to their nieces and nephews at the time of the seasonal ceremonies. In these ceremonies the dancers wear masks and costumes to represent the many ‘kachina spirit people’.
These spirit people are believed to live in the mountains near Flagstaff, Arizona. They visit the Hopi villages on special occasions and are represented by the masked dancers. When the dancers wear the kachina masks they believe they are lending their bodies to the spirit people.There are over 400 different kachinas and they can represent many things including animals, plants, weather and abstract ideas. The dolls are used as an educational toy to instruct children about the traditions and religious beliefs of the tribe.
