Shop the Spirit of the Southwest

Kachina dolls are traditionally carved from the roots of cottonwood trees which once were abundant on and near the Hopi lands. Dolls carved from 1 piece of wood are preferred by savvy collectors. The Koyemsi, or Mudhead Kachina, is a clown who may be seen in most Hopi ceremonies. Hoop Dancer amuses the audience of a major ceremony. The rings represent the circle of life. 

Santa Clara Indian Pottery 

Santa Clara pottery artists created black-on-black and red vessels. Santa Clara Pueblo pottery artists rely on etching, carving and sgraffito to create designs rather than painting them. The Avanyu, or water snake, is a common pattern, but Santa Clara Pueblo pottery artists also favor hummingbirds, butterflies, dragonflies and floral patterns, many of which incorporate small stones for colored decoration. 

Navajo Horsehair Pottery 

Horsehair Pottery is fired using a special technique. Fine lines are created with the hair from the mane of the horse, and thick lines are created from the hair of the tail. After the pot is fired, it is rock polished; no paint or glaze is used. 

Traditional Navajo weaving used upright looms with no moving parts. Support poles were traditionally constructed of wood; steel pipe is more common today. Different designs are produced by different communities of the Navajo Reservation. Examples are Tec Nos Pos from Tec Nos Pos, Arizona, Two Grey Hills from New Mexico, and Storm Pattern from The Gap in Arizona. 

Navajo Turquoise 

To the Navajo tribe, the color turquoise represents happiness, luck, and health. Turquoise is also the most common component of Native American Jewelry. 

Hopi Jewelry 

Hopi jewelry styles use a wide variety of designs mostly with religious and tribal symbols, including those concerning beliefs about animals, nature, and their clans. Hopi jewelry is traditionally represented in boxes, buckles, and bracelets of silver cutouts overlaid on a dark background.