Classic Hopi & Zuni Kachina Figures

by Barton Wright (Author), Portago Andrea (Photographer), Andrea Portago (Photographer)

Photographer Andrea Portago saw her first kachina in the early seventies in the studio of George Terasaki, from whom her friend and collaborator Andy Warhol was buying Native American art. When Alan Kessler’s collection of kachinas was auctioned at Sotheby’s in 1997, an extraordinary collection of classic kachina figures was unveiled that served as the impetus for Portago’s exploration of the carvings. Presented here are classic-era (1880s-1940s) Hopi and Zuni carved dolls that have rarely been displayed. Portago gracefully photographed these rare figures using available light so as not to distort their colors, and to reveal their drama and passion.