Hopi Corn Badger Kachina Doll By Evans D. Nuvamsa

Hopi Corn Badger Kachina Doll By Evans D. Nuvamsa
ca. 08 - 1991
Size 8.875" H x 5.25" W x 3.25" Deep
Hand carved with Painted Yellow, Brown, Teal, Tan, Red, Black and White Colors with a Green Yarn Fluff around Neck and Lovely Feathers on Headdress
Excellent Condition
Evans D. Nuvamsa is a Hopi artisan from the Nuvamsa family, known in Hopi communities for cultural and artistic contributions—related to figures like Benjamin H. Nuvamsa, former Hopi Tribal Chairman, and Nuvamsa Designs, which produces Hopi-inspired art such as paintings and textiles. This is a signed piece and carries authentic Hopi provenance, emphasizing traditional carving techniques.
The Badger Kachina is a revered healer and guardian spirit in Hopi lore, symbolizing wisdom, protection, and medicinal knowledge. Badgers are seen as powerful diggers who uncover healing herbs and roots from the earth, making this kachina a patron of herbal medicine and recovery from illness. It also invokes rain and fertility, dancing in summer ceremonies to ensure bountiful crops.
The "Corn" aspect likely refers to the Corn Clan or Corn Maidens (Kä'china), who embody maize as the Hopi lifeblood—symbolizing sustenance, renewal, and the sacred cycle of planting/harvest. Pure Corn Kachina dolls feature yellow, blue, red, and white ears of corn as headdresses or accessories, with the figure holding prayer sticks adorned with cornmeal.