Hopi Kachina Dolls and Their Carvers

I have many hundreds of books and magazines on various types of woodworking, and this is one of my favorites. Gene Balzer has beautifully photographed some of the finest Native American art, by 25 of the best Hopi carvers of the late 1980s. Author Theda Bassman has also included interviews with each of these carvers. These interviews reveal the simplicity of the Hopi, the pervasive reverence of their culture, and a remarkably spiritual approach to an ever increasingly sophisticated art form. Kachina are supernatural beings who dwell in the San Francisco Peaks near Falgstaff, Arizona. For untold years these Kachina have left their mountain homes to visit the Hopi villages from February through July. The Hopi petition the Gods through these Kachina intermediaries for favorable weather, bountiful crops, and a peaceful, prosperous life. In sacred ceremony, costumed men and women represent the Kachina in song and dance. Similarly costumed Kachina dolls are given to girls and women as prized possessions and religious reminders. Before the 1975 Migratory Bird Act forbade the Hopi from using wild bird feathers in their doll making, dolls were made of relatively crudely carved pieces of wood glued together, and decorated with feathers, fur and fabric. Since then, with traditional feathers unavailable, the style of one piece doll carving has taken root in both shop and gallery. These modern creations include carved feathers, fur and fabric. This style has become increasingly sculptural and sophisticated in portraying both the costume and representative motions of the ceremonial Kachina. These one piece Hopi Kachina dolls are currently among the finest genre of Native American art. They constitute a native art that is perhaps exceeded only by the North West form-line carvers. Their work inspires me and amazes me. It leaves me in awe, and with more than a little envy of the ability to combine faith and aesthetics, with a craft I dearly love to create such a magnificent art form that is both new and ancient. I consider these carvings to be artistically fascinating and culturally priceless.

This is really one of the most unusual Kachina art books out there. Besides the exquisite photography of Gene Balzer, Theda Bassman delves into how the new carvers who adapted to all wood carving feel about their craft and what it means to them to be a carver. One gets a real sense that the artists themselves come alive and in this way, bring their art alive. They demonstrate a trust in talking with Ms. Bassman, who has a long history of working in the Southwest Indian contemporary art world. In this way, this book transcends the typical art book.