Hopi, (literally translated) means a person who behaves in a polite or peaceful way. The Hopi are a communal farming people who reside on and near three mesas in northeastern Arizona. More than nine thousand Hopi live on a 1.5 million-acre reservation that encompasses a dozen villages.
The word kachina (kah-chee-nah) has long been used by outsiders to refer to any of the hundreds of spiritual beings central to Hopi religious life as well as to the dolls that depict them. However, according to the Hopi, katsina (kahts-ee-nah) is more correct and preferred. In English, the plural of kachina is kachinas, but in the Hopi language the plural of katsina is katsinam.
The first known kachina dolls were obtained by traders in 1857. From then on others were picked up sporadically until about the end of the 19th century. Little is known about these except that they were basically simple in style, with slightly detailed masks and simplified bodies.
The first known kachina dolls were obtained by traders in 1857. From then on others were picked up sporadically until about the end of the 19th century. Little is known about these except that they were basically simple in style, with slightly detailed masks and simplified bodies.
How Kachina dolls are made
Kachina doll making today involves both tradition and artistry. Kachina dolls are traditionally carved from the roots of cottonwood trees which once were abundant on and near the Hopi lands. The Hopi word for cottonwood root is paako, which means water wood, and the cotton-wood root's ability to seek and find abundant water mirrors the ability of the katsinam to do the same for the Hopi people.
Randall Rosenthal’s artwork can fool you. From a distance, his carved wooden sculpture looks like a stack of newspapers, the notebook you’ve been looking for, a treasure trove of baseball cards bundled with rubber bands or a box of money. A closer examination may still leave viewers pondering: Is it real or is it art? 
Rosenthal is also used to some people “not getting” his work. The wooden sculptures appear as if they are the actual objects they depict. The resistance to believe the artwork is the object it depicts is so persistent for some that Rosenthal posted process pictures on his website to dissuade doubting Thomases.
“They look real from a distance but they’re not supposed to be realism,” Rosenthal said. “When you get close, you can see the corners may be cheated—meaning they’re not perfectly square…I always leave the wood grain visible so people can see it’s wood. I’m not trying to hide it—the fact that it’s made from wood is an important part of the piece.” 
Some of his sculptures have made their way to high places. A sculpture of New York Times newspapers announcing President Barack Obama’s win to the presidency is now owned by Obama. The piece was gifted by artist Eric Fischl, who previously owned the work. 
Rosenthal works can sometimes stretch a decade long, he said. Unlike commercial woodworkers, Rosenthal doesn’t use shop drawings or pre-calculated plans when carving his sculptures. His process is reductionary. The block of wood guides the process and serves as muse as Rosenthal carves wood to create the figure inside.
Rosenthal’s work has been drawing attention and fans at online sites like 
