I still feel weird calling them dolls. A couple of mine are of a style that resemble playthings as I know them; most are not. One is what I'd categorize as fine art. But "doll" seems to be the accepted term. So, "doll" it is. I'll do my best to tell everything I know about each piece. Unfortunately it's not nearly as much as I know about my jewelry collection. But then, I've only been collecting katsina dolls for a few years now. I'm definitely not an expert.
I'll start with this little guy.
Ms Pooley's dolls are made in what is called the Route 66 style, and resemble the katsina dolls that were sold to tourists in Fred Harvey stores throughout the southwest in the first half of the twentieth century. Ms Pooley is the only Hopi woman I know of that creates katsina dolls.
Both male and female Katsinas are enacted in Katsina dances by costumed male dancers. One way to tell them apart is by looking at their footwear. Female Katsinas (Katsin Mana) wear white shoes. Male Katsinas (Katsin Taka), usually wear turquoise blue or sometimes a reddish shade.
Quick tip for collectors of art, antiques, and other things- a small UV "blacklight" flashlight is good for detecting repairs, artificial pigments, and "enhanced" or stabilized gemstones. Glues, heat treated and/or dyed stones, added plastic resins, and artificial pigments will glow brightly under UV light. These flashlights are used to locate scorpions and all sorts of things, and are sold by hardware stores and big box retailers.
There are hundreds of Katsinas, which can embody everything from specific gods and deified humans to animals, plants, weather, and even abstract concepts. When a Hopi puts on the costume of a Katsina he also takes on that Katsina's personality and mindset. He becomes the Katsina he is portraying in the dance.
The Katsina religion is practiced by several Native American tribes in the southwest, including the Hopi, Zuni, and Tewa tribes. Katsinas have no spiritual significance for the Navajo, however Navajo artists do create katsina dolls for sale to collectors. Navajo katsina dolls have a distinctly different look from those of peoples for whom the Katsinas are a vital part of their religion and culture.
The Navajo do however have their own spirit beings, called Yei'i. Which are sometimes depicted in weavings, sand paintings, jewelry, and carved images. While the Katsina religion revolves around a set ceremonial calendar, Yei'i ceremonies are held on an as-needed basis.
Morning Singer Katsinas stand on the rooftops at dawn, singing to the rising sun to awaken the village for a new day.
Last of all, my very favorite katsina doll, and an item of Zuni jewelry which depicts Tawa, the Sun Katsina.
The Supai are a neighboring tribe living near Havasupai Falls at the Grand Canyon. Many shrines and sacred sites of different southwest tribes are located at the Grand Canyon, and there's always been interaction (and occasionally friction) between the various peoples living and visiting there. The face mask of this katsina doll has distinctive geometric designs which appear on other Hopi representations of Supai people.
I was paid well enough for my efforts to restore her. But I still hated having to give her back to her owner. He owns a second hand shop, selling mainly furniture and appliances but occasionally artworks as well. I'd done cleaning and restoration work for him before. I didn't think to ask how much he'd sell this one for. I was fairly certain that, repaired though it was, I could not have afforded it. So I packaged her carefully, handed her back, collected my money, and went home feeling sorry for myself.
Until the following Yule, when my husband (who also does repairs on the guy's appliances) gave her back to me. Whenever I'm tempted to damn him for a clueless, insensitive jerk, I remind myself that he isn't always. Not always.
I hope you enjoyed seeing my collection as much as I enjoyed sharing it with you.
Thank you for reading. This is an open thread, all topics are welcome.