Decorating With Native American Art - Kachina Dolls

Kachina dolls are a favored item of serious Native American art collectors. Originally given as educational gifts to Hopi children, Kachina dolls are now a valuable source of income for many Native American artists.

Kachina dolls are actually representations of the masked male dancers called Kachinas. Kachina ceremonies are held during the first half of the Hopi religious calendar, from December to mid July. The Kachina dancers represent spirits, often animals or abstract ideas, that carry the prayers of the Hopi people back to the spirit world. There are five major ceremonies, lasting nine days each. During the ceremonies, the Kachinas dance in the plaza and from Kiva to Kiva, giving the dolls and other gifts to the children. The Hopi people sprinkle corn pollen and offer prayers to the Kachina dancers as they pass by. The Kachinas enable the people and the spirits they represent to exchange their blessings before the spirits return to their mountain peak homes in the Southwest.

Kachina dolls are traditionally carved out of a single piece of cottonwood tree root. The lightness and sturdiness of cottonwood tree roots make it an excellent material for carving. The artist starts with a rough log of cottonwood root. The basic shape for the doll is carved out, with finer details being carved as the work progresses. After the carving is finished, the doll is hand painted with the appropriate colors of the Kachina it represents. The doll is believed to posses some of the power of the spirit associated with the Kachina.

Other Pueblo Indians who make Kachina dolls include the Zuni and Navajo tribes. The Zuni dolls, called Shalako Kachina Dolls, are impressive examples of Native American art. The Navajo began carving their style of Kachina dolls, embellishing them with beads, feathers, fur, leather and turquoise. These dolls are made as decorative figurines and do not have the religious significance or value that authentic Hopi Kachina dolls have.

Native American artist Milton Howard of the Hopi tribe is a master Kachina carver who grew up on the Hopi-Navajo reservation in Arizona. He learned the carving art from family members and eventually moved to Phoenix where he learned and perfected new techniques and styles. His skillfully crafted, exceptional Kachina dolls can be found in fine Native American art galleries. Milton Howard Kachina dolls can also be purchased online. The superb detail in his carvings makes these dolls valuable art collectibles.

A Kachina doll collection makes an excellent addition to your rustic, Southwestern or Native American design scheme. Many collectors like to display the dolls in a lighted rustic wood and glass display case. This helps protect these valuable and fragile works of art.