Butterfly Maiden Kachina, 1880-1920, 17 x 13 x 3 11/16 in. (43.18 x 33.02 x 9.37 cm), Wood, pigments, United States, 19th-20th century, In Hopi cosmology, there are over 250 spirits known as kachinas (or katsinas). The kachinas visited this world long ago from the clouds, but now only their representatives appear in Hopi villages from winter solstice to mid-July. These representatives, men dressed in masks and outfits representing the individual kachinas, conduct ceremonies that maintain harmony and teach Hopi values. Traditionally, the kachina dancers gave children small sculptures of the kachinas during the ceremonies. Parents hang them on the wall at home to use as educational tools for teaching Hopi beliefs to their children.