Dig It - 7/29/24
Fellow Seekers, today we are going to look at a late 19th - early 20th century Hopi Malo Katsina. This particular doll is 11.5” without the the legal pigeon feathers. Many people mistakingly assume that all dolls with orange colored pigments are from later in the 20th century. Not true says I, native orange pigments were used on Pueblo pictographs from the mid 14th century and earlier. Now, I have not tested the salmon/orange pigment on this doll to confirm if it is a native, natural pigment, but it would not surprise me that it is. I do believe the green, black, white, yellow and blue pigments are natural. The Malo Katsina, are old and important amongst the Hopi. They pray for rain and a good harvest. This Katsina is available for purchase!
