Henry Shelton (1929–2016). <em>Kachina Doll (Taawa)</em>, 1960–1970. Cottonwood root, acrylic pigment, silver discs, yarn, silk ribbon, fur, beads, 20 1/2 × 7 × 8 in. (52.1 × 17.8 × 20.3 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Edith and Hershel Samuels, 2010.6.8. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.2010.6.8.jpg)

Henry Shelton (1929–2016). Kachina Doll (Taawa), 1960–1970. Cottonwood root, acrylic pigment, silver discs, yarn, silk ribbon, fur, beads, 20 1/2 × 7 × 8 in. (52.1 × 17.8 × 20.3 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Edith and Hershel Samuels, 2010.6.8. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.2010.6.8.jpg)

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What are Kachina dolls?

Kachina dolls are made to instruct children on the Kachina spirits. There are many different spirits and they can bring things like rain and fertility to a community.

There are about 500 individual Kachina spirits! They are not activated until the doll has been painted and decorated. This particular Kachina doll was created by Harry Shelton.

This Kachina doll represents Tawa (Sun). This Kachina is rarely seen and is part of the traditions of specific families.

How does the Kachina doll relate to their ceremonial calendar?

The Hopi and Zuni have complex calendars. They have different cycles of when Kachinas appear but all the ceremonies are related to agricultural seasons. Some ceremonies are tied to the summer and winter solstices, for example.

This work is so much fun. Adorable but a bit unsettling.

That's one of a class of object known as Kachina dolls, an object use by several Pueblo Indian Tribes to educate children on the appearance and significance of the kachina spirits. They were traditionally given as a gift during ceremonies where masked men embodying the kachina performed dances, appealing to the spirits for their favor, usually related to agriculture seasons and the bringing of the rains.

As you can probably see, this doll, and the one next to it are stylistically different from the others in the case. They were likely commissioned or made for sale in the 60s and 70s. This doll represents Tawa, the sun spirit and an important creator in Hopi origin stories. Pay close attention to the details. The skirt is not actually made of fabric but is carved into the wood.

Kachina Doll (Taawa)

Arts of the Americas

ARTIST Henry Shelton, 1929–2016

CULTURE Pueblo, Hopi

MEDIUM Cottonwood root, acrylic pigment, silver discs, yarn, silk ribbon, fur, beads

Place Made: Oraibi, Third Mesa, Arizona, United States

DATES 1960–1970

DIMENSIONS 20 1/2 × 7 × 8 in. (52.1 × 17.8 × 20.3 cm) (show scale)

SIGNATURE H. Shelton, drawn arrow underneath, on bottom

COLLECTIONS Arts of the Americas

ACCESSION NUMBER 2010.6.8

CREDIT LINE Gift of Edith and Hershel Samuels

CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION Sun (Taawa) kachina doll. This kachina, which is carved from one piece of cottonwood root, has a large circular headdress of carved white feathers with black tips surrounding a circular face. The face has the bottom half blue with black slits for eyes, triangle for mouth and two parallel lines on either side of mouth. The top of face is bisected with yellow, black, and red stripes making a forehead design. The back of the headdress has real feathers. Across his back is a silk ribbon bandolier. The carved wood sash in back has carved fox pelt. The figure has a flesh-colored chest with Pl breast yellow and PR breast turquoise. He wears a carved dance kilt and boots. His knees wear leather leg bands decorated with bells and yarn. His raised PR arm and hand holds a gourd rattle, and his lowered PL arm and hand carries a flute. This Katsina is very rarely seen in public because its performance is part of sacred ceremonies reserved only for specific clans. Taawa, a spiritual being, seldom appears. Taawa (Sun) katsina dancer wears a radiating headdress made from yucca fibers and carries a gourd rattle and a flute. He may appear in mixed katsina dances, but this is unusual as he rarely appears in major public events. Taawa does not belong to any specific men’s kiva group but will appear on request in their sacred ceremonies. All the stories about him relate to his interactions with people and animals and how he contributed to earth’s creation.

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view

CAPTION Henry Shelton (1929–2016). Kachina Doll (Taawa), 1960–1970. Cottonwood root, acrylic pigment, silver discs, yarn, silk ribbon, fur, beads, 20 1/2 × 7 × 8 in. (52.1 × 17.8 × 20.3 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Edith and Hershel Samuels, 2010.6.8. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.2010.6.8.jpg)

IMAGE overall, CUR.2010.6.8.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2010

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RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY

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