The Dzonokwa Spirit Mask portrays a character Kwakiutl mythology that is known as “the wild woman of the woods,” a spirit that is believed to bring great power to chiefs. These masks are identifiable by several features, the most distinctive being its large, puckered lips; the Kwakiutl believe that the mouth is a link to one’s soul, and this spirit is believed to … [Read more...] about Native Masks and Headdresses of the Americas by Rylee Williams
These two unusual wooden figures are from Colombia, and they are identifiable because of their traditional clothing to be depictions of people of the Kamentsá cultures from the Putumayo region of southern Colombia. The male figure wears a striped poncho over a dark undergarment, and he wears a necklace composed of multiple strands of beads. The female figure … [Read more...] about Native Dolls and Doll-like Figures of the Americas by Vanessa Lockhart and Hannah DipotoNative Dolls and Doll-like Figures of the Americas by Vanessa Lockhart and Hannah Dipoto
The artworks in this exhibit are not actual Navajo sandpaintings, but reproductions. This is because traditional sandpaintings are made by arranging substances on the ground or on the floor, without any kind of binder or glue. These are therefore not permanent, but ephemeral artworks that may not be saved or collected. Traditional sandpaintings are made by the Navajo (also … [Read more...] about Navajo/Dine Culture Sandpainting Reproductions by Lindsey Vandieren
The Iroquois cornhusk mask, also known as the Husk Face mask or Bushy Head mask, represents a mythological, human-like people who grow enormous quantities of crops in their supernatural valley on the other side of the world, where the seasons are reversed. The Husk Face people taught the Iroquois how to cultivate crops and to live a thriving sedentary life, and … [Read more...] about Masks and Headdresses from Around the Americas: Researched by Kari Mishler, Josh Barry, and Nicole Manhart
Native cultures of the American Southwest produce three main kinds of Kachina figures. The Hopi and the other Pueblo cultures produce tithu figures, which are religious, educational toys that portray Kachina spirits, the benevolent spirits of the Pueblo religion. The tithu are carved by men in the community and given to girls at the beginning of the Kachina season, to help … [Read more...] about Kachina Figures: Researched by Darbi Dugan and Ashley McLaughlin