Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability

CAS Anthropology Collections Database


Catalog Number CAS 0520-0003   CAS 0520-0003; Katsina
Category Carvings
Object Name Katsina
Culture Hopi
Global Region North America
Country USA
State/Prov./Dist. Arizona
County Navajo
Other Geographic Data Hopi Indian Reservation
Maker's Name Unknown
Date of Manufacture ca. 1940s
Collection Name Owings Collection (Hopi Katsinam)
Materials Cottonwood (Populus sp.) roots; Paint; Feathers
Description 3-dimensional carved figure in standing position, representing Sakwa Hú (Blue Whipper Katsina) who is usually impersonated by a young boy during the Powamu (Bean Dance) and is especially popular on Third Mesa; His thin muscular body is painted completely blue and he wears carved and painted blue kilt with yellow fringe and breechclout made from dance kilt, fox tail, green moccasins, and painted strands of shells worn like bandoliers; Blue case mask has blue tab ears, black and white pop-out eyes, black beads with white bands across it, rectangular mouth with bared teeth and lolling tongue; Small gray feathers are attached to top of mask.
Dimensions (cm) Height = 26.4, Width = 11.8, Depth = 9.0