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Collectible
Kachina Dolls Have a
History
By Anne Gilbert
You have probably seen Kachina dolls if you have visited crafts shows and
museums in the Southwest. Possibly, you have seen the colorful figures offered
at auctions around the country. Chances are if you are new to the collecting
field, you wondered what they were. When they come to auction, prices can range
from a few hundred dollars to over a thousand dollars. As more Native American
artisans have come to be recognized and their works collected, prices continue
to rise for contemporary as well as early 20th century pieces.
Made by Hopi
and Zuni tribes in the likenesses of the supernatural guardians of the tribes,
they intrigued tourists who traveled in the 1930s to the Southwest. The tourists
who witnessed the Kachina ceremonies with adult males representing Kachinas in
song and dance wanted souvenirs. The small dolls from 8 inches to sometimes 22
inches began to be collected.
Until recently, little was known of their
history. However, in the 1930s anthropologists began studying the dolls,
learning what they could from the Hopi. Among the things they learned is that
the Kachina was given to little girls, carved by their biological father, as one
of their first objects with spiritual importance. As infants they received
several flat dolls, with featureless heads.
As the child grew, the dolls, or
tihu, became more realistic and detailed. By the time the girl was in her teens,
she no longer received dolls for good behavior. Supposedly, her rewards would be
in the form of prosperity, health, etc.
The dolls were thought to possess a
part of the kachina's spiritual powers. As such, they were believed to be unseen
spirits who appeared in the actual world as plants, birds, animals and clouds.
Wolves and eagles were popular. There are hunter and guard Kachinas, warriors
and mud head clowns in many forms. One of the oldest types is the buffalo
Kachina. The costumes were made of buffalo hide, with and without the wool. They
were topped with a large, wooden buffalo head. Other times, Kachinas represented
neighboring tribes.
Though dolls have been discovered dating to the early
19th century, examples of their likenesses have been found on Kiva murals and
ancient pottery dating to the late 1300s.
CLUES: Contemporary Kachina artists
sign their works, and many are recognized and sell for several thousand dollars.
If you are interested in collecting, the Official Price Guide to Native American
Art by Dawn Reno is a must. It is published in paperback by House of
Collectibles.
Many contemporary carvers create sculptured Kachinas that rely
on the natural form of the cottonwood root and the look of the graining. Other
new artists are working in the old turn-of-the-century style using tools of that
time.
Carved figures made in the 1930s and '40s had carved fingers and
elaborately carved and painted headdresses. Garments were made of cloth and
leather. Belts and sashes were painted with watercolors, not made of
materials.
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An early 20th century Hemis Kachina that stands about 14.5 inches tall; sold
for $1,125. (Photo, courtesy River Trading Post, 866-426-6901,
http://rivertradingpost.com/
antiquekachinadolls.htm.)
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