The Kachina Motel
 All content copyright 2013 Peggy DeMouthe     ® The Kachina Motel
Collection management - page 2

Part IV: Keeping track

Hopi kachinas are held in collections around the world, and these dolls continually change hands. 
A well-documented doll will always be more desirable, yet as the doll travels over the years much information about it can be lost. That's why, whether you buy your kachinas on Ebay or at Sotheby's, from Santa Fe galleries to Hopi artists right up on the Rez, there are some practical issues to consider.

 One of the most important is documentation. Nothing can beat a photo of your new kachina in the hands of its carver--preferably with you standing in the frame as well, wearing a big smile. That's provenance! If you are a regular watcher of Antiques Roadshow, you know how these kinds of photos can not only prove the source of an artifact, but may increase its value. Nonetheless, very few of us are lucky enough to be able to get our katsin-tihu from their makers every single time...and if you're up at Hopi, cameras are best left in your luggage anyway.

If you buy on Ebay, the easiest thing to do is hit the "print" button when you win an auction. You'll capture a picture of the doll, the seller, the amount you paid, and the date. Put this printout in a folder and you'll have a chronologic record of your acquisitions. Often sellers will include useful information in their descriptions, such as the maker of an unsigned doll, and this is crucial information to keep.

For the dedicated collector, some sort of centralized system should be used, whether it's a stack of index cards, auction printouts, our a computer database. Filemaker™ is easy to use and you can make your records as detailed you want. In addition, the program lets you sort by any field, so you can quickly find all the dolls by a certain artist, or the ones made in 2002, or all the Bears.

Some of the key facts to capture include:
  • Kachina name in Hopi and English (if available)
  • Carver's name
  • If and how the doll is signed (include clan symbols)
  • Size of doll in inches and/or centimeters
  • Condition (be honest)
  • Date made, if known--or as close as you can guess
  • Provenance: where, when, and from whom you acquired the doll; in this entry, record any additional information that the seller may provide
  • Price you paid for the doll
  • Photo of the doll's face, if possible
  • Brief description of the doll's decoration, materials, and any special features, including any missing items from regalia, repairs, or restoration

NOTE: Be honest with yourself and do not describe a doll with broken fingers, missing feathers, or smudged paint as "excellent." Document any damage or restoration when you acquire the doll; if you sell or trade it later this information will be important.

If you do trade or sell the doll, add a note to your record including the selling price. Do not delete the record of your ownership if the doll is no longer in your possession; your ownership is still part of the history of the doll itself.

Other forms of documentation

Sometimes a vintage kachina will arrive with a little paper tag tied to it, saying "Handmade by Hopi Indians of Arizona," or "From the Hopi Villages." Do not remove these! They help to date the doll and may also place it in a museum shop or even a Harvel Hotel shop, adding to its value. Some modern dealers also use hang-tags and I've gotten in the habit of keeping these in place when possible so they don't become separated from their kachina.


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