Hopi Third Mesa Wicker “Kahaila Katsina” Image Plaque [R]

"This kachina is presumed to be from the Rio Grande as his name is Keresan (language of Kewa, Cochiti, San Felipe, and others).  Fewkes shows a good drawing of this kachina in Pl. XLVII of his publication Hopi Kachinas but calls the personation 'Kwacus Alek Taka.' This name simply means 'eagle feathers erect man,' a descriptive term for Kahaila.  The kachina appears in a regular dance with Alo Mana and is often called the Hunter Kachina."  Wright 1973

Plaques are an important part of Hopi culture.  They are used in everyday activities, women carry them in plaza dances, they are gifts to friends and families for favors rendered, and they are used as payback to relatives and friends for gifts received.  They are also an important item for the women to sell to tourists and collectors.  Probably half of them are made for Hopi use and the other half end up on the market.

Condition: original condition

Provenance: from the collection of an Arizona resident

Recommended Reading; Hopi Basket Weaving: Artistry in Natural Fibers by Helga Teiwes