Zuni Polychromed Wood Kachina Figure

In Hopi and Zuni cosmology, the kachina is a supernatural being who serves as an intermediary between humans and the underworld. The kachina doll represents a dancer who impersonates a particular spirit in ceremonies promoting rainfall. In these agrarian communities, the primary function of the kachina cult is to bring rainfall and subsequently bountiful crops for the well-being of the people. The kachina depicted in this lavishly decorated figure would have been part of the Throw-Away dance that followed a period of warfare.