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• Hopi artist
• Early 1900s
• Carved wood with pigment, feather, and string
• Anonymous gift, 1948.350.

Carved figures like this one are katsinam (plural for katsina), spiritual beings believed to visit Hopi villagers. The Hopi believe that they live with these spirits for more than half of the year. Katsinam are thought to have the power to bring rain, encourage certain social and ceremonial behaviors, and influence the overall well-being of the Hopi people.