KATSINA DOLL COLLECTION FROM THE FRED HARVEY ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT COLLECTION

We have just received a collection of katsina dolls that have been reported to us as formerly in the Fred Harvey Advertising Department collection.  Two of the dolls have painted on their backsides a notice to that effect, however none of the others do.  Another clue to the collection is the square black pedestals to which most of the dolls are attached.  It is a known fact that those were a Fred Harvey trait. The dolls are attached with screws from the pedestal to their feet.  There is no written documentation with this collection. We cannot guarantee the Fred Harvey provenance on any but the two that are stenciled.  

We are presenting this collection without being able to provide authentic written documentation.  There are some very interesting katsinas represented, some of which are rare carvings.  We have shown the collection to our contact person for katsina dolls who we consider the nation’s expert on anything of Hopi origin.  We are including his comments on the dolls where appropriate. We are also using the spellings of the katsinas that he provided to us.  They differ from those used by Barton Wright and others but we thought it would be of interest to collectors to see the new spellings.

This may be an opportunity to add a unique katsina doll to your collection, whether documented or not.  Perhaps the unknown information will add to the suspense and appreciation. We hope you enjoy the exhibit and that you will feel free to offer any comments you wish as we are open to added information.  The dimensions indicated do not include the thickness of the pedestal.

Relative Links: Kachina – Katsina Doll, Hopi Pueblo, Fred Harvey Company