Artwork Details
- Title
- Firekeeper Kachina Pendant
- Artist
- Date
- 1997
- Location
- Not on view
- Dimensions
- 4 3⁄4 x 2 1⁄4 x 1⁄2 in. (12.2 x 5.7 x 1.2 cm)
- Credit Line
- Gift of Karl and Patricia Stoermer in honor of Esther Wood, Navajo Silversmith
- Mediums Description
- sterling silver and China Mt. turquoise
- Classifications
- Keywords
- Abstract
- Indian
- Figure female — full length
- Object Number
- 1997.87
Artwork Description
Esther Wood based this piece on her Navajo beliefs and upbringing. Kachinas are supernatural beings central to the spiritual beliefs of the Pueblo Indians of the Southwest. During religious ceremonies, men impersonate these spirits and girls receive kachina dolls that are used for prayer. This pendant depicts a kachina doll of the Fire Keeper, who appears in the Navajo creation story. Turquoise is a sacred stone of the Navajo, who for centuries have regarded it as a symbol of the heavens and as a protective talisman.