Hopi Kachina Dolls – Route 66

Route 66 Hopi Kachinas. The small, simple kachinas known as “Route 66 kachinas” were originally made for sale in trading posts and other tourist stops throughout the Southwest. They made as early as the 1940’s and are still being made today. They are simply carved however still have the proper design elements of a kachina doll. They are often stamped with a name or you will see a name penciled in on the bottom. Often these names are generic or plain wrong. For example, my Rt. 66 kachina example labeled “Blue Hat” on the bottom is actually a Hakto kachina. Sometimes generic names such as “Rain” or “Sun” are stamped on the bottom when there is actually a specific name. To make it trickier, some Route 66 Kachinas are just kind of made up from different Hopi design elements.