Hopi Pueblo Old Style Parrot Kachina

ca. 1993

7.25" H x 2.75" L x 3.125" W

Hand Carved from Cottonwood Root Painted Colorful with Extended Tail Feathers and Turquoise Colored Inset Eyes on Parrot Top Piece and 2 Abalone Shells on Tab Ears with Traditional Cotton Cord for Hanging 

Excellent Condition

The Parrot Kachina (also called Kyash, Kyaro, or Koyona in Hopi) is a bird katsina spirit among the Hopi Pueblo people. It represents abundance, particularly summer rain and growth for corn crops on the arid mesas. Parrot feathers (and sometimes live birds) were historically traded from Central America northward to the Southwest, making them prized symbols of fertility, color, and vitality from distant lands.

Old-style Hopi kachina dolls refer to traditional carvings from the late 19th to early 20th century (Early Traditional Period). These are simple, block-like figures carved from a single piece of cottonwood root, with minimal detailing, basic proportions, and painted features using natural pigments. They contrast with modern action-oriented, highly detailed dolls. Old-style versions emphasize cultural teaching tools for Hopi children rather than elaborate art.

The black star-like symbol painted on the bottom of one foot is a symbolic element seen on some Hopi kachina dolls, often representing celestial bodies (stars or planets) or related spiritual concepts like guidance from the heavens.