Navajo Hoop Dance Kachina Doll By Franniel L

20th Century

11.875" H x 7.25" L x 5.5" W

Hand Carved from Cottonwood Root and Adorned with Fur, Leather, Feathers, Canvas and Shells

In Very Good Condition

The Navajo Hoop Dance Kachina Doll by Franniel L is a specific handmade Native American kachina (or katsina) figure depicting the Hoop Dancer, signed and created by an artist named Franniel L.

Kachina dolls represent spirit beings in Hopi tradition (though Navajo artists often create similar styled dolls for the market). The Hoop Dancer (sometimes called a ceremonial or entertaining figure) is a popular subject: it portrays a dancer who skillfully manipulates multiple wooden hoops (symbolizing the circle of life) during performances to amuse audiences, teach agility, and embody grace and harmony with nature. These dolls typically show the figure in dynamic poses with several hoops around the arms, legs, or body, often adorned with feathers, fur, leather, paint, and traditional regalia like black-and-white markings, fur headdresses, and colorful accents.