Kachina Dolls 381 by Andy Warhol is a 1986 screenprint from his Cowboys and Indians portfolio. The print features two stylized ceremonial dolls side by side, one in black-and-white and the other in vivid purple, orange, and yellow. Feathers rise from their heads while long robes, adorned with geometric patterns, flow to the ground. Behind them, a faint shadow doubles their presence, suggesting both movement and memory. Warhol transforms sacred objects into Pop Art symbols, inviting reflection on how culture, ritual, and image intersect.
The Cowboys and Indians Portfolio
The Cowboys and Indians portfolio, created in 1986, explores popular imagery associated with the American frontier. Through ten screenprints, Warhol examines figures like Annie Oakley, Teddy Roosevelt, Geronimo, and General Custer. These figures appear alongside Native American symbols and cultural objects. Rather than situating them within historical context, Warhol portrays them through the lens of popular culture—echoing how Hollywood romanticized the Old West.
Like Plains Indian Shield 382 and Northwest Coast Mask 380, Kachina Dolls 381 captures artifacts rather than individuals. Through this approach, Warhol blurs the line between sacred tradition and mass reproduction. The shadow cast behind the dolls may suggest spiritual duality—the visible and the unseen—or perhaps the distance between authenticity and representation.
Kachina Dolls in Native American Culture
Kachina dolls are ceremonial figures central to the religious practices of several Native American groups in the Southwest, including the Hopi and Zuni peoples. They are carved representations of spiritual beings and are traditionally given to children to teach moral and cultural lessons. Additionally, maternal uncles gift them to young women during coming-of-age rituals such as the Home Dance and the Bean Dance Ceremony. These ceremonies celebrate fertility, renewal, and the balance between humanity and nature.
Each Kachina represents a specific spiritual force, though meanings vary between communities. Because of these regional differences, identifying the exact dolls in Warhol’s print is difficult. Instead, he generalizes their identity, transforming them into universal symbols of Native American culture. This abstraction aligns with Warhol’s practice of simplifying imagery to highlight its visual power and cultural resonance.
Kachina Dolls 381 in Warhol’s Larger Body of Work
While Warhol often claimed neutrality in his art, the Cowboys and Indians portfolio carries deep historical and political undertones. It reflects the contradictions of American identity—progress built on displacement, admiration intertwined with appropriation. Through works like Kachina Dolls 381, Warhol mirrors how popular media reimagined history until myth became more enduring than fact.
Printed by Rupert Jasen Smith in New York, Kachina Dolls 381 demonstrates Warhol’s late-career command of color and composition. The sharp outlines, mirrored figures, and layered shadows recall his earlier use of duality in celebrity portraits. However, in this context, repetition evokes continuity rather than fame. The dolls appear timeless, caught between reverence and reinvention. As a result, Warhol’s Pop Art lens both celebrates and questions the way cultures are remembered.
Photo Credit:
[Left] A:shiwi (Zuni Pueblo), Kachina Doll (Hakjapa), late 19th century. Brooklyn Museum, Museum Expedition 1903, Museum Collection Fund, 03.325.4647.
[Right] A:shiwi (Zuni Pueblo), Kachina Doll (Nahatesho), late 19th century. Brooklyn Museum, Museum Expedition 1903, Museum Collection Fund, 03.325.4615.
