Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability

CAS Anthropology Collections Database


Catalog Number CAS 0520-0120   CAS 0520-0120; Katsina
Category Carvings
Object Name Katsina
Culture Zuni Pueblo
Global Region North America
Country USA
State/Prov./Dist. New Mexico
County McKinley
Other Geographic Data Zuni Pueblo
Maker's Name Unknown (same maker as CAS 0520-0122 and CAS 0520-0123)
Date of Manufacture ca. 1920s
Collection Name Owings Collection (Hopi Katsinam)
Materials Cottonwood (Populus sp.) roots; Paint; Commercial leather; Tanned hide; Feathers; Horsehair
Description 3-dimensional figure in standing position with articulated arms, representing Atoshle, who visits Zuni in January with his wife, Suyuki, to catch bad children whom they eat; Figure's body is painted red except for yellow shoulders and chest, blue right forearm, and yellow left forearm; He wears a brown leather kilt gathered at waist by turquoise-colored leather belt, carved and painted (mostly blue) moccasins, and yellow leggings; His case mask is pale blue with yellow dots and has bulging eyes, wide snout with bared teeth, large red tab ears, and leather neck ruff with black hair still attached; Leather strip with attached hair is also nailed across top of mask and black horsehair is attached along back of mask; He holds yellow snake in right hand and blue snake in left hand.
Dimensions (cm) Height = 58.5, Width = 24.5, Depth = ca. 15.5