Found this sweet Tommy Singer Kachina pendant while traveling recently. If is 5 1/5” long and very detailed. Does one of you out there know about Kachinas? I have been researching for days and think it may represent a Hemis Kachina. From what I’ve read this one represents a successful harvest. It would be quite appropriate since I sell vegetables for a living. Even if it’s not a Hemis I would like to know what it represents. Thanks for your help.
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Although the headdress is similar to a Hemis, I belive this is a Talavai Katchina. Here is a quick bit I found on them:
“Hopi Morning Singers, or Talavai Kachinas, used to appear in pairs on the rooftops and sing songs, waking the Hopi people in the village. During the day, they would dance with the other kachinas, whom they led and prompted in the singing. They still appear with the other kachinas in the *Powamu Ceremony and are most often standing in a set to one side of the main movement of the procession. Occasionally, they sing as they stand holding their spruce trees and ringing their bells.”
Here is a vintage 1930-1940 talavai Kachina doll for your enjoyment:
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This may be a creation of the maker’s imagination. I have heard it said more than once “He believed that you didn’t create actual Kachinas for the tourist market” and so many of the creations are just that. Because of the tube mouth I would call this Hemis Singing. It fun to think it may have refence to the artist’s name (Singer). For study I use many sites but I love the Alan Kessler Gallery here Indian Native American Art Fine Are Western Americana Northwest Southwest Plains Woodlands online catalog
which gives some very old examples with good explanation in reference to what is not correct in the pieces shown in gallery and as well much more educational info for each.
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Here we have a storyteller and children all in same headdress singing.
https://www.kachinahouse.com/native-american-jemez-made-storyteller-with-two-girls
This is shown as Hopi here
http://www.wondersoftheworldinc.com/ethnic.html#prettyPhoto
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Thanks both of you for information. I will check out the store at Trocadero also.
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