Renee P. Navajo Signed Buffalo Warrior Kachina-Style Doll — 20" Display-Scale

A large-format Navajo-made Buffalo Warrior kachina-style doll standing a commanding 20 inches tall on a natural wood slab base. The figure carries the full ceremonial regalia of the Buffalo Dancer: a fur headdress crowned with black-tipped horns and trailing leather ties, a carved and painted wood face in red, white, and black war markings, a thick white fur ruff at the chest, and a fringed suede tunic and kilt accented with shell or resin cabochons and ranks of polished metal jingle cones. In one hand he holds a black lance bound with feathers; in the other, a hand-painted circular shield bearing stepped geometric motifs in turquoise, terracotta, white, and black. The verso of the natural wood slab base carries the artist's handwritten inscription "Renee P. Navajo" — a signature consistent with established Navajo artisan trade-name convention.

The Buffalo Kachina appears in Hopi and Pueblo ceremonial tradition as a spirit of strength, the hunt, and the sustenance of the people. Navajo artists have produced collector versions of these figures for the Native American art market since at least the mid-20th century — non-ceremonial works intended as sculpture rather than ritual objects. At 20 inches and 5 pounds, this piece is substantially larger and more richly detailed than the production-line examples that dominate the market: the variety of natural materials (fur, feathers, shell, hand-cut leather fringe, metal jingles), the painted complexity of the shield, and the overall sculptural presence place it in the upper tier of signed Navajo doll work. .

CONDITION

Very Good. Minor wear and slight soiling to the white chest fur ruff. No remarkable damage elsewhere — paint, leather fringe, jingles, feathers, and shield all present and intact. Base shows natural checking consistent with the raw wood slab construction.

DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS

• Overall: 20" H × 14" W × 9.5" D
• Weight: 5 lbs
• Materials: Wood, leather/hide, fur, feathers, shell, steel jingles, painted arrowhead lance
• Signed: "Renee P. Navajo" (verso of base)
• Subject: Buffalo Warrior / Buffalo Dancer
• Campbell's Soup Can (4" H) Shown for Scale — Not Included