Native American Hopi Carved Tobacco Flower Kachina Doll (Katsina Doll)

Description

Native American Hopi Carved Tobacco Flower Katsina Doll by John Fredericks

The Tobacco Flower (Tsitoto) is an ancient Kachina who appears on all three mesas in many ceremonies. The Flower Katsina brings flowers, pleasantness and great beauty. The many bands of color and the multicolored feathers provide a rainbow like appearance, and he looks like a walking prayer for summer. However, one of his functions seems to be purification. In this role he carries a small bunch of yucca blades and strikes each individual that he meets a rather firm blow whether it be a child or adult, Hopi or White. The Katsina appears during Water Serpent Ceremony, Mixed Dances, Bean Dance (Powamuya) and Angk'wa. This is an older carving by John that we acquired through a private collector. John is no longer able to carve.