Hopi Angak’china Katsina, Long Hair Kachina Doll by Loren Phillips

This engaging Long Hair Katsina, meticulously carved and painted by Loren Phillips, beautifully embodies the spirit of the rain-bringer. Known for singing gentle, melodious songs, the Long Hair Katsina symbolizes the arrival of rain and blooming flowers. His design includes a beard and loose feather tassels, symbolizing clouds and rainfall, and he is often seen dancing with manas (maidens) during the Niman and plaza ceremonies, calling forth the gentle rains essential for growth.

The Long Hair Katsina is unique yet familiar across the Rio Grande pueblos and the Hopi Mesas, where he dances in near-identical form, beloved for his group performance and soft songs that resonate with the community's yearning for rain. Loren Phillips (b. 1942), of the Sun Clan from Moenkopi, is a celebrated Hopi Pueblo carver whose intricate, one-piece katsina dolls are considered among the finest in Hopi art. His exceptional attention to natural form and detail shines through in this piece, capturing the reverence and artistry of Hopi cultural heritage.

What is a Kachina?

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: this Hopi Angak'china Katsina, Long Hair Kachina Doll by Loren Phillips is from a collector in Santa Fe

Recommended Reading:

- Hopi Kachinas: The Complete Guide to Collecting Kachina Dolls by Barton Wright

- Hopi Katsinas 1,600 Artist Biographies by Gregory Schaaf

TAGS: Hopi Pueblo, Kachina-Katsina Dolls, Loren Phillips