An Analysis of Katsinam Figurines in the University's Gendler Collection
Location
Oyate Hall
Event Website
https://2026undergraduateresearchsy.sched.com/event/2Ix8w/an-analysis-of-katsinam-figurines-in-the-universitys-gendler-collection
Start Date
15-4-2026 6:00 PM
End Date
15-4-2026 8:00 PM
Description
After a cultural shift in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Euro-American collectors and ethnologists took a significant interest in sacred indigenous objects such as the Hopi Katsinam figurines, which spurred transformations in the ways the figurines tended to be stylized, as well as in how they were circulated. Such figures were initially created solely for ritual and communal purposes, but in modern and contemporary times, they are often created by makers who identify themselves as artists. In this project, I study the history surrounding the creation and distribution of Katsina figurines and also examine selected Katsina figurines in the UMN Morris Gendler Collection as examples of modern Katsinam depictions. I am interested in gathering this information as the Gendler Collection does not include much documentation, and objects in the collection are examples of how the treatment of the figurines has changed over time. My poster sums up the pre-colonial and early colonial history of the Katsinam figurines, as well as the cultural changes that occurred from the nineteenth century onwards. Additionally, it explores the reasons why Euro-American art historians and artists became interested in Katsinam in modern history, and how this has affected native communities and American culture broadly. Finally, my poster uses specific examples from the Gendler Collection to show how they reflect this history, both by analysing their stylistic traits and by examining their contexts.
Publication Date
2026
An Analysis of Katsinam Figurines in the University's Gendler Collection
Oyate Hall
After a cultural shift in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Euro-American collectors and ethnologists took a significant interest in sacred indigenous objects such as the Hopi Katsinam figurines, which spurred transformations in the ways the figurines tended to be stylized, as well as in how they were circulated. Such figures were initially created solely for ritual and communal purposes, but in modern and contemporary times, they are often created by makers who identify themselves as artists. In this project, I study the history surrounding the creation and distribution of Katsina figurines and also examine selected Katsina figurines in the UMN Morris Gendler Collection as examples of modern Katsinam depictions. I am interested in gathering this information as the Gendler Collection does not include much documentation, and objects in the collection are examples of how the treatment of the figurines has changed over time. My poster sums up the pre-colonial and early colonial history of the Katsinam figurines, as well as the cultural changes that occurred from the nineteenth century onwards. Additionally, it explores the reasons why Euro-American art historians and artists became interested in Katsinam in modern history, and how this has affected native communities and American culture broadly. Finally, my poster uses specific examples from the Gendler Collection to show how they reflect this history, both by analysing their stylistic traits and by examining their contexts.
https://digitalcommons.morris.umn.edu/urs_event/2026/posters/11