Hopi Pueblo Kachina Mountain Sheep Doll By Davakeb

ca. 1991

11.5″ H x 2.75″ L x 4.375″ W

Hand Carved from Cottonwood Root and Signed Mountain Sheep “Pong”Davakeb 1991

In Mint Condition

Davakeb is the signature or name of a Hopi carver a traditional Hopi name and is possibly a clan or family reference.

Hopi Kachina (or Katsina) dolls are sacred carvings traditionally made by Hopi artisans from the Hopi Pueblo in northeastern Arizona. These figures representkatsinamimmortal spirits that embody natural elements, animals, deities, or ancestors. They serve as educational tools, teaching Hopi children (especially young girls and new brides) about the katsinam’s roles in ceremonies, which focus on bringing rain, fertility, healing, and balance to the natural world. The dolls are typically carved from cottonwood root, painted with natural pigments or acrylics, and adorned with feathers, yarn, or leather. They are not idols for worship but symbolic intermediaries between the human and spirit realms.

The Pong is a powerful guardian spirit associated with hunting success, as the Hopi rely on game for winter provisions (hunting is a necessity, not sport). It embodies supernatural powers to ensure plentiful animals, heal illnesses, control rain, and promote fertility in crops and wildlife. In ceremonies, dancers impersonating the Pong wear masks with curved ram horns, evoking the animal’s agility on rugged terrain.