She-we-na (Zuni Pueblo). <em>Kachina Doll (Ainshi Koko)</em>, late 19th century. Wood, pigment, cotton, hair, hide, yucca, resinous material, 14 1/2 x 7 x 5 1/2 in. (36.8 x 17.8 x 14 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Museum Expedition 1907, Museum Collection Fund, 07.467.8440. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 07.467.8440_SL1.jpg)

She-we-na (Zuni Pueblo). Kachina Doll (Ainshi Koko), late 19th century. Wood, pigment, cotton, hair, hide, yucca, resinous material, 14 1/2 x 7 x 5 1/2 in. (36.8 x 17.8 x 14 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Museum Expedition 1907, Museum Collection Fund, 07.467.8440. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 07.467.8440_SL1.jpg)

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Kachina Doll (Ainshi Koko)

Arts of the Americas

On View: Arts of the Americas Galleries, 5th Floor

In the southwestern United States, a supernatural being that represents a life-force or embodies a natural phenomenon such as the sun, the moon, a plant, or an animal is called a koko by the Zuni and a katsina (commonly anglicized as “kachina”) by the Hopi. Such beings have the power to control rainfall, crop growth, and fertility; to cure and protect; and to act as messengers between the gods and human beings. Carved kachina figures, also known as kachina dolls, are representations of these spirits and can have a sacred or an educational purpose. During some ceremonies, the carvings are given to community members to reward virtuous behavior, recognize a recent marriage, or teach children about religion. In the 1800s, a lively market for the carvings developed among non-Native collectors and tourists, giving rise to the elaborate art form that flourishes today.

CULTURE She-we-na (Zuni Pueblo)

MEDIUM Wood, pigment, cotton, hair, hide, yucca, resinous material

Place Made: Zuni, New Mexico, United States

DATES late 19th century

DIMENSIONS 14 1/2 x 7 x 5 1/2 in. (36.8 x 17.8 x 14 cm) (show scale)

COLLECTIONS Arts of the Americas

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is on view in Arts of the Americas Galleries, 5th Floor

EXHIBITIONS

Objects of Myth and Memory

ACCESSION NUMBER 07.467.8440

CREDIT LINE Museum Expedition 1907, Museum Collection Fund

RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY

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CAPTION She-we-na (Zuni Pueblo). Kachina Doll (Ainshi Koko), late 19th century. Wood, pigment, cotton, hair, hide, yucca, resinous material, 14 1/2 x 7 x 5 1/2 in. (36.8 x 17.8 x 14 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Museum Expedition 1907, Museum Collection Fund, 07.467.8440. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 07.467.8440_SL1.jpg)

IMAGE overall, 07.467.8440_SL1.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph

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CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION Bear kachina doll with cotton kilt and sash with fringe. Arms attached to torso with nails. Mouth slightly ajar; teeth carved into jaw. Fur attached to top of head with resinous material.

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