Native American Dolls
Native American dolls are popular among the young children of the Native
American Indians much like they are among children nowadays. Back then the
American Indians did not have the resources we do now but they would make
these dolls for the children out of resources in their environments such as
cornhusks, fibers and even pine needles, and there were also some dolls that
were made of wood or leather.
The dolls would usually be decorated with designs
or dressed in small clothing similar to the tribal wear. Many of these types
of Native American dolls were made out of these perishable materials so as
the Indian child grew up the dolls would deteriorate. These were most popular
among the Native American little girls much like they are today. There were
also many Native American dolls that were much more important to some tribes,
especially the well known tribe of the Hopi Indians. The Hopi Indians had
a sculpture that some would consider a doll but in all reality is an intricate
religious sculpture.
The Hopi Indian tribe carved Native American dolls called Kachina dolls which
were carved out of wood and were representations of the many different gods
that the American Indians worshipped. The artists that create these important
and cherished Native American dolls dedicate their whole lives to the craftsmanship
of these pieces of art and they were not dolls that the young Native American
children would play with. These dolls were and always have been exclusively
by the Hopi Indian tribe and if they are not then they are not true Native
American Kachina dolls. In order to obtain an authentic Hopi Indian Kachina
doll you can expect to be paying a pretty large price since these take time
to carve and as said before they are a very sacred Native American craft.
In order for an artist to be able to carve these Native American figurines
it takes years of practice and religious studies. These sculptures are quite
beautiful and well worth the price if you understand the true meaning and
appreciate the true artistry and time that goes into the carving process.
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