Marland's Grand Home Second Floor

Marland's Grand Home Tour
Native American Display

Our newest exhibit focuses on the Southwest, West and Northwest Coastal Indians. A large display of Hopi ancient Indian pottery, rare Katchinas and a beautiful collection of clay pots. Woven wall mats, a wide variety of basketry from cooking bowls to water jugs made of weaved fibers, sea grass, spruce, red bud and willow can be seen.

Basket weaving is an art almost as old as mankind. To primitive races, baskets were a necessary part of daily life. The first baskets were made to carry liquids. In the United States, basket weaving preceded blanket weaving, beadwork and pottery making. Before the influence of the white man, baskets were made for specific purposes such as utility, storage, carrying, food preparation and ceremonial purposes.

There were three types of baskets. Firm woven baskets were water tight and made of spruce or cedar root coils. Thin woven baskets were flexible, imbricate receptacles used for storing personal possessions, and the open-meshed, checker baskets were used for washing clams and carrying items.

Kachina is a Hopi Indian word and refers to three types of dolls. Small painted wood dolls carved in the likeness of masked dancers; masked dancers’ impersonating spirits; and kachina is the name for a large class of supernatural spirits.

The Hopi believe that 250 Kachina spirits live during January to July on the San Francisco peak and other high mountains of Arizona. These spirits are believed to be a link between man and the gods. A few of the spirits are ogres and monsters, but most of them are friendly, helpful male or female beings.

Kachinas are commonly carved of cottonwood root, a soft white wood found in the southwest. The horns, ears, nose and headdress are usually separate pieces attached with glue or tiny dowel pins. Kachinas are about 8 to 10 inches tall.

The kachinas were made for ceremonies in which ancestors or dead relatives are remembered. Sometimes mistaken for idols, these dolls are not worshipped. They are made by priests in their kivas during the great spring ceremonies as presents for little girls and presented to them the last day of the festival.