Old Style Hopi Carved Badger Traditional Powerful Healer and Chasing Star Planetary Kachina Doll (Katsina Doll)

Description

Old Style Hopi Carved Blue Badger Traditional Powerful Healer Katsina Doll and Chasing Star Planetary Kachina Doll by the Katsinam

The Badger (Honan) has great knowledge of roots and herbs and is sought for his wisdom and his ability to cure the sick by using herbal potions. The Badger Katsina appears in the summer dances. He is not only a healer and a chief; he also dances for rain for the crops. He appears at all three Mesas. Badgers can be seen in a variety of colors; blue, black and brown are the most frequently seen.

The opposite side of this carving is a Chasing Star. 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 in come cases, his red tab ears.

This carving was created for a Kachina Dance by the Katsinam and given as a gift to one of the Hopi girls.