Garland's complements their Navajo rugs with an exciting collection of Hopi Kachina
dolls. The authentic kachina dolls are handcarved from the root of the cottonwood tree and then hand-painted. They
are inspired by the kachina spirits. The Hopis believe these spirits enable them to live in harmony with nature, insuring
rain, crops, fertility, and good hunting. The Hopi men impersonate these kachinas by wearing masks and dancing in the plazas
of the villages. The dolls, which are replicas of the dancers, are given to the children so that they may learn about
their religion. The art of carving kachina dolls has evolved from the old-style blocklike figures into today's highly
detailed, all-wood dolls with realistic form and action.
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