Zuni Pueblo Anahoho Katsina Doll [SOLD]

According to Ruth Bunzel, in her paper entitled “Zuñi Katcinas,” published in the 47^th Annual Report to the BAE in 1929-1930, who was quoting an informant:  

“Ana is an exclamation of distress.  The name means take away bad luck.  Two of them (katcinas) come at the preliminary initiation of boys.  They come with the white Salimopiya.  The personator may be from any kiva, but is always selected by the dance director of ohewa kiva.

“When all the Salimopiya go into the kiva to drink from the ‘spring’ in order to get frenzied, Anahoho do not go in.  They stay in ohewa kiva.  Then when the Salimopiya have drunk they come out and then Anahoho come out and stand on the top of their kiva.  Then the Salimopiya come after them.  They do not like them and they knock them down.  Anahoho do not carry yucca, but little sticks (yamu lacowapa) and they do not hit anyone with their sticks.  They are just to take away the bad luck.  (That is during the general rites of exorcism.  But later they are given yucca and whip the little boys who are to be initiated.)

“They wear crow feathers because the crow always comes when everything is quiet and no one is looking for a fight and they bring bad luck.  Then the crow comes and flies around the village four times, saying, ‘Kâ kâ’ and the people say, ‘What does that mean?’  Then he says, ‘I came to tell you the Navaho are coming to kill the people,’ or something bad like that.  That is why they wear crow feathers.  The katcinas were with us in this world when we first came up.  Once when they were having a dance Anahoho came with their collars of crow feathers and the people all said, ‘Something is going to happen.’ These people came like crows to warn the people of bad luck.  And in the evening, the Navajo came and they began to fight.  Many Navajo were killed, but none of the Zuñis. 

“Then the elder brother Anahoho dipped his right hand in the blood of the Navajo and put it on his face and the younger one used his left hand.  That is how you can tell them apart.  And, therefore, they always wear crow feathers, and that is why they are the ones to take away the bad luck.  The painting on the side of the mask is like Salimopiya because they always come with them.”

Condition: excellent with normal wear

Recommended Reading: “Zuñi Katcinas an Analytical Study” by Ruth Bunzel.  Forty-Seventh Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution 1929-1930

Provenance: from the estate of Tom Mittler, a former resident of Michigan and Santa Fe