An exquisitely featured small-sized Hopi Antelope Katsina doll is hand-carved from cottonwood and hand-painted with happy acrylic paints. Katsinas are powerful and immortal spirits to the Hopi Pueblo People. Katsina dolls are representations of sacred beings and are not sacred themselves. Katsina doll carving styles and techniques have evolved over the years. The oldest dolls were fashioned using flint or obsidian blades, then sanded with sandstone, coated with white tuuma clay and finally painted with mineral and vegetable paints. Nowadays, pocketknives, X-ACTO knives and handheld electric and wood-burning tools are utilized. Alvin Leon added feathers, pipe cleaner, ribbon, fur and embroidery thread details to his. Antelope Katsina dances for the rain that makes the grass grow. About 5 1/4" tall, 2" wide and 3" deep, measurements include base. Signed by the artist.
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