These carvings represent male dancers, who, during Hopi rituals, impersonate numerous spirit beings called Kachinas. The dolls are not worshipped or prayed to as idols. They are, however, often presented to the young girls by Kachina dancers, possibly as an aid in ceremonial education. Hopi dolls are carved from cottonwood roots with knife and rasp. Carvers fashion simpler dolls from several pieces fit together with tiny wooden pegs. Each doll is painted and decorated to accurately depict a specific dancer. Some exhibit traditional, stylized forms while others reflect a modern trend toward more active, lifelike figures. Few American Indian crafts appeal so powerfully to both the eye and the imagination as these unique creations by Hopi artisans.
