Dec 19 2007
When I first traveled the Southwest, I saw what I thought were Kachinas at most every gift shop. I saw miniature Kachinas that looked collectible and I saw Kachinas carved by both Hopi and Navajo artisans. It wasn’t until I had the pleasure of working with a woman who was Hopi that I learned Katsinas were still a part of Hopi life.She would keep me entranced with tales of eerie nights on the reservation when sounds of spirits woke her in the middle of the night and the atmosphere was heightened by the shadows of the Katsinas lining the shelves in her relative’s home. And so I was pleased to see an excellent article on Katsinas in the Heard Museum Shop Newsletter so I could learn more. The article is reprinted here with permission:
Article By James Barajas, Katsina Buyer, Heard Museum Shops
Tips on collecting Katsina Dolls
Katsina doll collecting can be an intimidating endeavor to the novice due to the enormous variety of Katsinam, as well as styles ranging from simple and flat, to meticulously detailed, life like representations.
I would say that the first rule of thumb is to buy from a dealer who has been in the business for more than 10 years who has a reputation to protect. It protects the collector until they get knowledgeable enough to buy "on their own". Federal laws enacted in the 1990's stipulate that dealers need to be honest in their representation of American Indian Art.
Make sure that the Katsina doll you are buying is either Hopi or Zuni, both of whom subscribe to the Katsina religion. The Hopi resisted the influx of Spanish colonials more successfully than other pueblo tribes and have not had to hide their doll carving tradition; thus it is probably safest at the start if you stick to collecting Hopi dolls. That is why most of the published material on Katsina dolls is associated with the Hopi. Non-pueblo people make dolls that look similar to Katsina dolls, but they are usually not accurate and the secondary market doesn't seem to show any promise in their equity as an investment.
If you decide to collect early historical Katsina Dolls (pre 1920's) knowing the provenance is of the utmost importance. Dolls can fetch up to six figures, and imitations have gotten so good, it is extremely difficult to tell the difference, even for an "expert".
Collecting dolls from the 1960's and 1970's is much less risky and affordable. There were more carvers selling dolls than previously, leading to a greater supply. These dolls are often enhanced with green yarn, rabbit fur, buckskin, and real feathers. Be careful not to buy a doll with illegal feathers (you can find a list at www.fws.gov). Authentic dolls from this time period can be readily found starting around $200.
In 1975 the Migratory Bird Act made it illegal for carvers to use a lot of their favorite feathers, and they started carving them out of wood instead. Alvin James, "Makya", made a very realistic carving of a Buffalo Dancer that could be said to have started the recent trend in realistic, detailed dolls. Other carvers thought it was neat, and a healthy competition developed amongst them, evolving this style into one of the most amazing displays of artistic ability in the entire American Indian Art movement.
Accurate proportion is more difficult than a lot of fine lines for most carvers, and when someone is attempting to carve a "life-like" doll (and you're spending more than $500) you can be critical as to the natural depiction and proportion of anatomy.
Quite often, a carver elects to carve dolls in an older style. Willis Kewanwytewa carves in a similar style to that of his father, the late Jimmy Kewanwytewa (known to most collectors as Jimmy K.). Jimmy was a famous carver who worked at the Museum of Northern Arizona for years.
In the 1980's Jonathan Day started carving dolls that were abstract in form, and thus the "sculptural" style of Katsina doll carving began. Other carvers like Wilmer Kaye and John Fredricks helped popularize the style.
One of the most recent developments in carving is the "old style", where modern materials such as acrylic paints are replaced by mineral pigments, and sometimes even the use of modern dremel tools is avoided, duplicating the look of the pre 1900's doll. Artists such as Manfred Susunkewa, Walter Howato, Clark Tenakhongva, and others have made this the most popular style of Katsina doll in recent years.
There are many misconceptions in collecting Katsina dolls. One is that authentic, Hopi dolls shouldn't have real feathers and fur. It's true that most non-Hopi dolls are overloaded with feathers and fur, but there are still carvers that have not gone into the all-wood style.
Another misconception is that all authentic Katsina dolls are carved out of one piece of wood. I've seen very expensive dolls labeled as "one piece" and there were obviously pieces glued on. They were still worth the money because they were beautifully carved. There is nothing wrong with added pieces, as long as they are correctly labeled. The Hopis tend to see a doll as being "one piece" if the torso, head, legs, and arms are carved out of one single piece. Occasionally there will be a doll that comes around that is entirely carved out of one piece of wood.
Katsina Collecting Basics
There are many other points one could go into in minutia, but the basics are:
- Trust whom you buy from. Develop a relationship with a dealer/artist even if it is just to learn the basics.
- Trust your own taste. Buy what appeals to you because you're going to most likely have to live with it. Don't buy purely for investment purposes. Buying as an investment speculation can be disappointing even when you do like the piece.
- Ask a lot of questions and be more critical as the price goes up. There's nothing wrong with out-of-proportion dolls priced under $500 because they're still collectible cultural items, if not fine art.
- Enjoy the process of learning; the Katsinam, the carvers, and the beautiful worldview and history that the Hopi express through this fascinating medium.
