Sacred Texts Native American Southwest Index Previous Next
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Plate 12, Figure 1
FIGURE 1. Drum. Sides are yellow with vertical blue lines; band at base, blue with white scallops; top blue; katsina symbol in center of top, yellow with green and white band and hornlike projections of red; boatlike object lower edge
of top, yellow with blue in middle section; star on top, yellow. Symbolism of colors: Blue for sky, yellow for earth. Boatlike object represents clouds resting on horns. Corn or seed are inside drum to be the heart.
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Plate 12, Figure 2
FIGURE 2. Katsina costume. a, Mantle of impersonator of female katsina, Made of cotton; the design is embroidered on one side with colored yarns; top, black and green in 4-day period; white line is a trail; serrations top and bottom represent waves of water; white body represents the earth. Unfinished (no eyes) katsina masks; the diamond (red, yellow) represents feathers on the mask, the terraces (red, yellow) on the mask face represent fields; the median line on the face represents the 4-day-and-night period. b, Kilt worn by impersonator of male katsina: Designs are fields (red, blue) with part of katsina face. Straight lines (red) for rain, water; bottom line (black) for the 4-night period.