The Kachina Motel
 All content copyright 2013 Peggy DeMouthe     ® The Kachina Motel
What makes things complicated is this: are these legitimate vintage folk art items with collection value of their own? It seems that the Hopi tried to get Charlie to stop her production of these, so in my personal opinion the dolls and other objects are interesting as curiosities but your money is still better-spent on authentic Hopi work. And that doll? Still a disaster.
The fakes shown above were also described as Hopi, but often the sellers hedged just enough to show some uncertainly. However the intent was clearly to get unwary buyers to think they were getting an undiscovered treasure at a bargain. A butterfly, cloud symbol, or tableta do not make such objects authentic. Nor does broken wood or the appearance of dirt and wear.

Here is a tip: prices themselves can sometimes be a clue for you. A truly antique, truly Hopi kachina the size of these dolls would be worth many thousands of dollars, so if you go to an auction or see an "antique" online, watch what the experts are--and aren't--bidding on!
While many sellers have acquired their doll in good faith (say, in a lot of dolls at an estate sale) and honestly don't know what they are selling, beware of those who use terms like "Native American/Indian/Amerindian made," "Hopi style carving," or "Navajo Kachina." Kachinas are not part of the Navajo religion, so there is no such thing. Of course, it should be a red flag to you if anyone doesn't want you to communicate with them or ask questions.

How to recognize the fakes

First, do your homework. As with any investment, if an offer seems too good to be true, be careful! Part of the fun in collecting is learning about all the different kinds of kachinas and how they appear at different times and locations within the Hopi nation, and information is your best protection. Reputable traders are more than happy to share their extensive knowledge, and often collectors may be flattered if asked to provide guidance. If you have dolls that you want sell, spending a few hours at your local library doing some research will help you describe them accurately and ensure your sale.

Books, articles, and scholarly studies have been written about kachinas for more than 100 years; there are many easily-available books for your reference. Four of the ones that I think would be most helpful to beginners are:

  •   Barton Wright, The Complete Guide to Collecting Kachina Dolls
  •   Harold Colton, Hopi Kachina Dolls: with a key to their identification
  •   Jonathan Day, Traditional Hopi Kachinas, a new generation of carvers
  •   Oscar Branson, Hopi Kachina Dolls
The real and the fake, page 2
The doll shown at right was sold a few years ago for more than $1,200--
yet there is NOTHING correct about it. The seller presented it as a true antique Hopi kachina, as proved with a "period" receipt from a trading post which conveniently does not exist any more. Yet s/he forgot important details such as duplicating the ink and handwriting that would have been typical of the early 20th century. It is pretty easy to find old receipt books at swap meets and antique shops, but it takes some attention to detail to create a believable fake. The doll itself is a disaster.

In fact, the misrepresentation of this doll turns out to be even more complicated. Although not an antique, it was probably made between 1950 and 1970 by a female artist known as Charlie Yellowhair. It seems Charlie made a quantity of these made-up dolls, plus tabletas and other articles, for a trading post called Indian Joe's.
Click images to see full size.
Another type of fake kachina is supposedly made more desirable by having a removable mask. Although we know of one Hopi carver who will make such a doll for sale, in general it is considered another kind of offense--indeed, an insult to the Hopi religion.

The reason why: As in other tribal cultures around the world that have masked societies, a person wearing the face and regalia of an entity is thought to embody the spirit of that being. He or she is not just "in costume," which is why a real kachina is said to have a face and not a mask. A man personifying a kachina takes on that spirit with the sacred regalia that he dons in the kiva; it would be sacrilegious to show his own face.