Wood Kachina's

Picked these up today, they are signed W. Lowman and labeled as to what they are. Are these Hopi? Not finding much on the artist.

 

Since you're not getting any answers, thought I would give this a try. Not finding anything on your artist. Besides the possibility of these being Hopi, many Navajo also make Kachinas. Could also be a non-NA maker.

 

First, a clarification on terminology. A kachina is a holy figure in the Hopi, Zuni, and a few other pueblo tribes' religion. They are supernatural beings, who can interact with humans. They are found only in pueblo Indian cultures. The Navajo, since they are not a pueblo culture, do not have kachinas in their religion, nor do any other tribes.

A kachina doll, is a carved representation of a specific kachina, given to young girls (who are not initiated into the kachina cult) so they can learn to recognize the kachina (there are hundreds, each with a unique physical appearance).

An authentic kachina doll is one carved by a Hopi or Zuni. Although it is still a controversial topic among some conservative members, many Hopi (and a few Zuni) began carving kachina dolls for the market.

Their success, however, led to other non-Hopi and even non-Indian carvers entering the "kachina doll" souvenir market...especially the Navajo. The figures they carve often are fantasy figures, with no connection to the "kachinas" they supposedly represent. They are decorative or souvenir items only, not authentic kachina dolls.

The carvings in question here fall into that category. They are not kachinas, not authentic kachina dolls. They are contemporary souvenir Navajo carvings.

 

And now a comment on why the carver's name doesn't show up during research. It's probably just made up.

"Loma-" as the beginning of a Hopi name is very common. The definitive reference on kachina doll carvers, Hopi Katsina, 1600 Artist Biographies by Gregory Schaaf, lists 63 of those 1600 carvers, whose last name starts with "Loma-"... but none with the last name "Loman."

Many of these souvenir carvings are factory-made on an assembly line, and usually feature felt pen writing on the bottom, to appear they were signed by the maker.

 

Thanks Taupou

 

You're most welcome! You just happened to ask about one of my top "rants," so to speak.

There are far more fakes on the market than authentic kachina dolls, which seriously affects the livelihood of Hopi and Zuni carvers.

The figures become "fakes" when they are sold as "kachina dolls." I'm certainly not claiming that Navajo or non-Native American shouldn't be able to carve them, only that the carvings shouldn't be sold as "kachinas" or "kachina dolls." Yet there are books and guides widely available, on how to carve "kachina dolls," that certainly are not aimed at the Hopi market, but can be found at woodcarvers shows, craft supply shops, and of course, on line.

I've found that most individual Navajo carvers refer to their work as "carved dolls" or "figures," but that distinction is usually lost when they are resold. And I'm sure that many sellers are not even aware of the cultural differences between the Hopi and the Navajo. (I've even seen African carvings, and plastic dolls made in Japan, described as "kachina dolls"!)

Key differences to look for, besides the felt pen marking on the bottom, are the use of rabbit fur, and leather fringe; extensive use of felt, colored feathers, or yarn; and the lack of tribal affiliation, or at least the village name.

Here's a good guide (but unfortunately, the photos no longer show up...at least on my computer):
http://www.ebay.com/gds/Kachina-Dolls-the-Real-and-the-Fake-/10000000005385511/g.html