Hopi Traditional Chakwaina Katsina Doll [SOLD]

This Katsina doll, probably of the pre-World War II period, represents Chakwaina who appears most often in January during the Kiva Dances, dancing in a line with lively gestures, stooping and turning and singing a spirited tune. It has been said that Chakwaina represents Estevan the Moor, who led Fray Marcos de Niza in search of Cibola and was killed at Zuni. Barton Wright, the noted Katsina expert, said this is not likely because Chakwaina originally came from the Rio Grande Pueblos, migrated to Zuni, then to Hopi from Zuni.

Chakwaina appears at Hopi, Zuni and *Keresan Pueblos, but not in New Mexico Tewa Pueblo ceremonies. Chakwaina is a warrior of great repute.

Alph Secakuku, a Hopi, and noted katsina authority, in his book referenced below, calls an older version of this Tsa’kwynakatsina, and this later version as a side dancer to it.  He states that Tsa’kwynakatsina is a Warrior, appearing during Powamuya ceremony and Angk’wa, the spirit of which represents cold moisture.

This carving, then, represents Chakwaina as a side dancer.  The arms tucked into the body is a style normally associated with pre-1930s carvings, however, the paint would indicate an early 1940s carving.

*Keres: the language spoken by the Puebloan people of Acoma, Cochiti, Laguna, San Felipe, Santa Ana, Santo Domingo, and Zia Pueblos are so closely related that linguists usually consider them dialects of a single language, known as Keres or Keresan.

Condition: this Hopi Pueblo Chakwaina Katsina Doll is in good condition with a slight crack in the wood extending from the bottom of the right foot up to the waist.  Some abrasion to the paint consistent with the age of the doll. The feathers exhibit their age..

Provenance: this Hopi Traditional Chakwaina Katsina Doll is from the collection of a family from Santa Fe
References:
- Hopi Kachina Tradition: Following the Sun and Moon by Alph Secakuku
- Kachinas: a Hopi Artist’s Documentary by Barton Wright with original paintings by Cliff Bahnimptewa