Hopi Pueblo Wood Dance Wand

20th Century

.375" H x 24.5" L x 2.25" W

Hand Carved Zigzag Pattern and Painted Light Red, Teal, Yellow, Black and White with Circles in the Center 

In Good Condition with Some Damage as Pictured 

Hopi Pueblo wood dance wands are traditional ceremonial objects used in Hopi dances, primarily by women and young girls in various rituals. These wands, also called dance paddles, lightning sticks, or manayawi, are hand-carved from wood (often cottonwood or salvaged crate wood) and feature vibrant polychrome painting with symbolic designs.
They serve as important paraphernalia in social and ceremonial dances, symbolizing elements like fertility, rain, lightning, snakes (for water and life), or clan motifs. Women typically carry one in each hand, often vertically, during plaza dances following the Kachina (Katsina) season or in events like harvest or fertility-related ceremonies.