The handle of this Hopi black on red pottery ladle has the shape of Mudhead Kachina. It contains the yellow clay called pavisa that comes from the sipaapuni in the canyon of the Little Colorado River near its junction with the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. This is believed to be the site where the Hopis emerged from the underworld into this, the Fourth World. Reflecting this belief, underground kivas entered from the roof by means of a ladder and with a hole in the floor representing the sipaapuni are a conspicuous feature in all Hopi villages and serve as the center of kachina and other religious ceremonies. The kiva itself is derived from the pithouse dwelling of the early Anasazi. (From Walpi, First Mesa, potter unknown. Author's collection)

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