For your consideration are two Southwestern Navajo hand-carved wood Kachina dolls from the mid 1900s. Traditional Native American dolls known as Southwest Kachinas are created by the Hopi, Zuni, and Pueblo tribes of the southwest. These dolls are important components of many tribal ceremonies and celebrations, and they represent various Kachina spirits or deities from Native American mythology. Usually made of cottonwood roots, kachina dolls are embellished with feathers, fur, and vibrant paints. The Sun Kachina, the Corn Kachina, or the Rain Kachina are just a few examples of the many different Kachina spirits represented by the dolls. In the past, Hopi men made the Kachina dolls that were given to young girls as teaching aids. Kachina dolls are still frequently used in tribal ceremonies today and are also widely collected and used as decorative items. Kachina doll creation is a laborious and highly skilled process. To carve the cottonwood root into the basic form of the doll, it must be carefully chosen. After painting and sanding the doll, various materials are added to finish off the decoration. It may take weeks or even months to finish the entire process. These two figures are almost identical with the only difference being the paint designs on the figures. The figures show a wood construction with the base painted white. Above the white paint is a brown painted body with light blue, white and black painted geometric designs. The head is painted light blue and shows two eyes, a white painted nose and blue and white ears. Sitting on top of the head is an orange feather. Extending from the head is a light blue painted head piece with black and white painted geometric designs. the bottom of the figures show markings in pen or marker. The figures show good condition with no signs of obvious damage and very little wear from years of use. The figures measure 5/8" L x 2 3/8" W x 7 13/16" H.