The Hopi weave geometric designs and imagery symbolic of their values and beliefs into their trademark yellow, black and red baskets and plaques made by wicker twining, plaiting and coiling methods. Flat, woven plaques or platters hold food for serving and sacred items such as prayer sticks and prayer feathers at ceremonies. At weddings, the bride's family give woven plaques to the groom's family. They are also given away at dances. Baskets function as food storage units and for carrying burdens, such as fruit from the mesa to their homes.
Called "tithu" or "katsintithu" in the Hopi language, katsina dolls represent supernatural beings who control the rain and weather, help with daily village activities, punish law breakers and to carry messages between the spiritual and mortal realms. A true katsina is carved from cottonwood root by experienced Hopi carvers who have the religious training and knowledge to shape each katsina with the characteristic attributes of the being that it represents. The katsinas are gifts for young girls and brides on ceremonial days.
The earliest Hopi pottery was gray but ancient craftspeople developed black-on-white, black-on-red, yellow and polychrome styles as well. Hopi potters do not use wheels or molds, adhering to the traditional coil and scrape techniques and firing them in open pits. They paint the pots with a yucca brush, creating designs of humans, animals, birds, insects, clouds, stars and sun to imbue the piece with religious significance for ceremonial use. The Hopi Cultural Preservation office warns that the Hopi consider authentic prehistoric and ceremonial pottery for Hopi use only and do not offer it for sale, so beware of sellers who attempt to sell you such objects.
Silverwork became part of the Hopi crafting tradition in the late 1800s. Silversmiths quickly developed the trademark overlay style associated with Hopi jewelry. Artisans cut symbolic or realistic designs in one piece of silver, fuse it to an oxidized silver piece and polish the top layer to create a contrasting geometric pattern. The designs can be religious or secular. Jet, coral and turquoise stones are added as emphasis. To ensure that you are buying authentic Hopi jewelry, look for the sun symbol of the Hopi Arts and Crafts Cooperative Guild and the artist's clan mark.