Hopi Kachina Dolls with a Key to Their Identification

by Harold S. Colton

A Hopi Indian will tell you that a kachina is a supernatural being who is impersonated by a man wearing a mask. Small wooden dolls carved in the likenesses of the various kachinas are used to help teach Hopi children the tribal religion and traditions. Each child receives a doll made especially for him by his male relatives. He treasures the doll and studies it so that he can learn to recognize and respect the host of spirit kachinas that people the Hopi world. Kachinas are difficult to classify because different Hopi pueblos have different ideas about their appearance and their functions. The late Dr. Harold S. Colton identified 266 different kinds of kachina dolls, and in this book he describes the meaning, the making, and the principal features of all of them. Each type of doll is pictured in a simplified line drawing. There is also an illustrated key to help the collector identify the various types.

Genres: Art, Crafts

160 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1970

Reviews

[Joyce-Marie Morrin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kachina ID 101!

Very well organized, with easy to understand descriptions and drawings as well as photographs. Quite detailed and extremely useful for Kachina ID.I

I'm still looking to ID my one Kachina, but I'm close. I believe it's a shortened name listed on the bottom, and I just need to make sure it's Kwani. Thank goodness for an index of names in alphabetical order!

But this gives me a great start!

[Yvonne]

Written in 1959 this book gives invaluable information about the names, looks and purpose of all the different kachinas. The edition I read had over 200 b/w drawings of masks and a very useful index with Hopi and English names of the kachinas. A must have for any kachina lover/collector.

[Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful reference for the symbolism of parts in addition to the identification of the whole

[Maurine Starkey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good information.

Illustrations and photos could be bigger.
Good and easy overview of the figures and their history. I enjoyed the details.

[Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up along with a Hopi Kachina ogre doll during my recent visit to New Mexico. This is a great book on understanding the history and meaning behind Kachina dolls as well as provides a brief introduction to the Hopi religion.