Tawa, the Sun Kachina, is representative of the spirit of the Sun, or Sun God. Tawa carries a bell in his right hand and spruce tree in his left hand.
From the Field Private Collection, Turquoise Spirit Journey, this Tawa wears a magnificent headdress of feathers that encircle his colorful, round masked face. The mask has a blue bottom half and top half of the mask is vertically split in orange and yellow halves. The mouth is in a black triangular shape and horizontal slits for eyes. These colors are repeated throughout the Tawa kachina costume. The white kilt-like garment accented by a brown sash moves in rhythm during his dance.
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Tawa Aided in Creating Earth
Tawa is accredited with the Earth’s creation and thereby highly revered by the Hopi. Tawa and Kokyanwuhti, the Earth Goddess, created the Earth. Tawa and Kokyanwuhti possess powers over the realms surrounding Earth. These spiritual entities were powerful representatives of how we, the Earth, the Sun and all other creatures came to be.
Beauty of Tawa
The artist of this Tawa, Sun Kachina is unknown, as the information has faded from the bottom of the base. This small kachina doll is completely carved in wood, in very fine detail, front and back, with beautiful colors and possibly carved from cottonwood. There is nice aesthetics with movement of the arms and right leg as though dancing in ceremony.
This kachina is 13.5 cm (5.5 in) in height, standing on a 3-3.5 cm base, total 17 cm height, a little over 6.5 inches. A bit of paint restoration may be desired on the mask. Otherwise, the kachina is in excellent condition.
Makings of a Special Kachina Doll
Detail, beautiful color, materials and movement, as if in dance, of a kachina doll is always highly prized.
Three Aspects of a Kachina
For the Hopi, a Kachina has three aspects; the supernatural being, the masked Hopi dancer and the dolls. Each Kachina has a purpose. The supernatural being is the spirit of the Hopi. The Hopi dancers wear the masks and decorations of the supernatural spirits in the Hopi Plaza. The dolls are the teaching tools made in the likeness of the dancers of the supernatural spirit.
Forces of Nature
Kachinas represent the forces of nature, human, animal, plant, and act as intermediaries between the world of humans and the gods. Kachinas play an important part in the seasonal ceremonies of the Hopi. They represent generations of traditions that have been passed on and are the subject of a number of books.
Small kachina dolls, called tihu in Hopi, are given to children to introduce the child to what each of the kachinas look like. The dolls are carved representations of the katsinam, the spirits essences of their ancestors, animals, plants, nature, all that is within the Hopi universe.
Traditionally, kachina dolls are created by Hopi or Zuni artists, and sometimes by the Navajo.
You will see a variety of spellings for Kachina, also known as Katchinas, Katcinas, Katsinas, Kat’sina. Kachina is typically the English spelling, while Katsina is Hopi.
For more information on kachina dolls, as well as other Southwest Native Indian Art, visit Turquoise Spirit Journey.
View a variety of Kachina Dolls in the
Turquoise Spirit Journey Private Collection
HON White Bear
is powerful and thought to be capable to curing illness. Naturally, they are great warriors.
PONG Mountain Sheep
appears in the Hopi Plaza Dance as a group, as a heard of mountain sheep, and typically dances with a cane.
MONGWA Great Owl
Great Owl, MONGWA,
symbolizes intelligence and wisdom. The Hopi feel the Mongwa kachina is very beneficial to agriculture keeping their fields free of rodents.
White Buffalo
may appear in January, winter dances, at Second Mesa, as a social dancer while representing the most sacred of all the animals.