Native American Hopi Carved Chasing Star Planetary Katsina Doll--Black

Description

Native American Hopi Carved Chasing Star Planetary Katsina Doll by Thomas Fredericks

The Chasing Star (Na-ngasohu) Katsina is also called Comet Katsina and Planet Katsina. Hopi differ in regard to what this Katsina represents. Some say he represents a planet; to others he represents a meteor streaking across the sky. Chasing Star usually appears at the Bean Dance (Powamuya) or at a Mixed Dance. His function is no longer known. The Chasing Star's most identifying features are his enormous headdress of trailing eagle feathers (Plains Indian war bonnet style) and his turquoise, green, black or yellow case mask with its red-outlined star across the face and his red tab ears. This is unusual, we have rarely seen a Chasing Star with a black face.