These turned bowl represents the Kiva, the center of the religious and ceremonial life of the Hopi. The Kiva is typically a single room, wholly or partly subterranean, that is entered by way of a ladder through an opening in the flat roof.

The Kachina doll, seen here emerging from the Kiva, are the symbolic representations in human form of the spirits of plants, animals, birds, places or ancestors. The Kachina’s major concerns are rain, fertility, rich harvest, good health, long life, and achieving balance and harmony in nature.

As Kachina spirits emerge from the Kivas, they adopt human forms, living in the midst of the Hopis for about six months of each year. They appear in December, around the time of Winter Solstice, increasing their number during the ceremonial season of February and in July return to their spirit world.