(2) Native American Zuni Lameman Family Handmade Kachina Dolls. One has a bright green ruff around the neck, known as the Gorn "Morning Singer," and is signed on the underside of the base by Joe Lameman and dated 10-76. The other has wide-flung wings with singed tips and is identified as "Eagle Dancer" on the underside along with a signature by Danny Lameman. 

Largest Size: 6 1/2 x 14 x 14 1/2 in. 

A kachina is a spirit being in the religious beliefs of the Southwestern Native American Pueblo people, including the Hopi, Hopi-Tewa, Zuni, and Keresan tribes. The complex kachina concept encompasses three distinct interconnected aspects: the supernatural being itself, ceremonial dancers who personify them, and meticulously carved dolls that embody their spirits. These beings personify tangible elements of the real world and cosmos, ranging from revered ancestors and animals to natural phenomena like thunderstorms, wind, and corn. Although not worshiped in the Judeo-Christian sense, each is viewed as a powerful being who, if given veneration and respect, can use their particular power for human good (or sometimes as punishment), bringing rainfall, healing, fertility, or protection. Beginning around 1900 the growing tourism industry generated a great deal of interest in the Kachina figurines, and the dolls became sought-after collectibles with many artisans carving the figures commercially to make a living, but the process, legality, and religious implications of this are still controversial and hotly debated within many tribal groups. Of the nearly one hundred known kachina, Köcha Mosairu, called the White Buffalo, is the rarest and most revered of all the mesas and pueblos, and their appearance symbolizes major changes in the environment and the annihilation of the human race in preparation for the Fifth World.

All items are sold AS IS. Lot and condition details are for descriptive purposes only. Sarasota Estate Auction is not responsible for errors and/or omissions of condition. The absence of a condition report does not imply that the lot is perfect or free from wear, flaws, or characteristics of age. Please bid according to your own expertise, or request any additional information and/or photographs you deem necessary.