HIILILI KOKKO: KATSINA FIGURE

This distinctive wooden figure represents a spiritual being, important to the folklore of the Hopi tribe USA, c.1900

This striking wooden doll is one of a number of Katsina dolls currently in possession of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. These dolls demonstrate the craftsmanship of the members of the Hopi tribe, but their importance goes beyond mere aesthetics. Katsina dolls are spiritually and culturally significant and can tell us a great deal about the folklore of the Pueblo indigenous peoples.