History Behind Southwestern Arts: Katsina Doll Carving

Katsina dolls are a carved representation of the Katsinam, the messengers between the Pueblo people and their deities. Katsina dolls were originally made solely for religious purposes and are distributed to children during ceremonies. Parents use them to teach their children about their Hopi culture and religious beliefs.
Katsina dolls were originally carved with a stone knife from cottonwood root, as it will not crack and is soft and easy to carve. They would be smoothed out by rubbing them with a sandstone rock and were painted and decorated with the colors of the cardinal directions from vegetal and mineral pigments.
The traditional abstract representation of the Katsinam in the early Katsina dolls were slowly replaced by more realistic renderings and the wooden figures began to transform into recognizable human bodies portrayed in the act of dancing. Many Katsina doll carvers believe that carving is not just an art form, it is a tradition, it is spiritual practice.