Dancers of the Nightway: Ceremonial Imagery in Navajo Weaving presents a selection of these unusual pictorial works. This specific mask represents Ganaskidi, a god of the abundant harvest. The Yei Be Chei dancers are the human impersonators who perform the ceremonies. These Yei, Yeibichai, and sandpainting textiles have been the most sought after by collectors and the least studied by scholars. Yei weavings tend to have Now youll recognize the next Yeibichai dancers Navajo rug that you see! Traditional Navajo Ceremonies: The Yeibitchai Dance Or Night Chant, Danced Across the River (Klay-chahjihHatal). weaving large single and double figure vertical yei rugs. chai ybch plural -s 1 : a Navajo supernatural represented by a masked dancer in an initiation or curative ceremony 2 : the ceremony performed by Yeibichai dancers Word History Etymology Navaho ye'ibeshichai Love words? DESCRIPTION: Ganaskidi Mask Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 48" high x 68" long unframed 39" x 44" A yei'i is a Navajo holy person. The Navajo Yeibichai are masked dancers representing the Deity Yei Supernatural Beings. Yeibichai Dancers. Original file (4,541 3,448 pixels, file size: 9.67 MB, MIME type: image/jpeg). Following his graduation he went to work as an illustrator for the Indian Service. It is a difficult ceremony to learn, and it requires you to memorize hundreds of songs, prayers as well as intricate sand paintings. In executing the carefully prescribed ritual dance movements, they call upon the Holy People to bestow good health on the patient and, by extension, on all those hundreds in attendance. The six maleYei carry gourd rattles and spruce twigs or feathers, and make the hu call periodically during the dance. Yeibichai Navajo Rugs Differing from the Shiprock Yei, the Yeibichai Navajo Indian rugs are usually bordered weavings and depict Navajo dancers impersonating Yei spirits. Today, this popular style The legacy of Cherokee artist Shan Goshorn is honored during an exhibition at the Gilcrease Museum. The leader of the dancers is Talking God, the feather headdress dancer to the left. Please contact Charley at charley@charleysnavajorugs.com if you have any questions about this rug or any others in the collection. COUNTRY:United States of America Adobe Gallery Navajo pictorial weaving has been a mirror of the Navajo experience, with the first documented mention of pictorial weaving in 1840. . Female Yei wear square half-masks. Dating back to around 1000 BC, the ceremony takes place over nine nights, and it is believed to have been first performed in Canyon de Chelly. Yeibichai rugs generally depict the dancers from the side and in motion. elaborate nine day ceremony, it features male and female yeii, The history of the development of a religious belief system in the Navajo tribe isnt well known. They would be depicted with square blue masks only covering the front portion of their faces and spruce ruffs like the men. Known as Ybchai in Navajo, the Nightway is a ceremonial that lasts nine nights and is performed by a singer to heal a patient, although family members and friends are often present in the hogan, along with the Holy People, for the healing. SUBREGION:Arizona They usually carry spruce or feathers and wear traditional dress with a red sash. Listen as Steve describes this rug in the video below. On the final night,teams of dancers appear in public in what isreferred to as the Yeibichai Dance until justbefore dawn. Tom Yazzie has depicted all of the participants in this sacred ceremony in his carving, wearing their ceremonial masks and headdresses to resemble the Yeibichai. Navajo Dancers dress up as Yei (Navajo Gods) during the Night Chant Ceremony, a nine-day-long ceremony only performed in the cold time of the year, when snakes are hibernating. This issue was further amplified by the fact that even the tribes themselves were reluctant to divulge any information. I have, All these supposed white Native American stories are just a ploy by white Americans so they can feel easy about, Cupik and Yupik Native American History, Inupiaq and St Lawrence Island Yupik Native American History, Aleut and Alutiiq Native American History, Eyak, Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian Native American History, Mexican Zapotec Native American Indian History, Canyon de Chelly the Origin of Navajo Culture, Native American Art Navajo Pottery History, Sandpaintings Religion and Native American Art. Another area of influence Latin America Every year near the holiday season, Adobe Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico, holds its Native American Nacimientos exhibition. The Yeibichai are supernatural beings who created the Navajo people and taught them how to live in harmony with the universe. Join Charley's monthly news. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Winslow,AZ Valley National Bank Navajo County Arizona Mashek & Zeigler Postcard at the best online prices at eBay! In the Navajo Regional Rugs, Saddle Blankets, & Other Styles Information, Navajo Regional Rugs & Navajo Saddle Blankets Info. Pueblo masking influenced neighbouring tribal dances such as the curative yeibichai of the Navajo. Prior to the turn of the 20 th century, Yei were not permitted to be represented in textiles or paintings in any permanent forms. Navajo Artists Weave Magic by J. Fatima Martins Briscoe Western Art Museum hosts a traveling exhibition dedicated to contemporary Chickasaw artwork through January 18. Yeii figures As early as the mid-1800s, Navajo weavers were USA, 1900. Prior to the turn of the 20th century, Yei were not permitted to be represented in textiles or paintings in any permanent forms. A national membership group of museum friends who share a love of American art and craft and our commitment to celebrating the extraordinary creativity of our nations artists. difference between a yei and yeibichai weaving depends on the The Yeis perform specific dances and rituals, as directed by the Medicine Man, during the ceremony for the desired end. The Wellcome Collection, London.jpg. Please inquire for other rates. He attended elementary school at the Indian School at Fort Apache, but ran away and returned back to the reservation. The Navajo Yeibichai Kachina is sometimes called the Talking God, although in many ceremonies the Yeibichai does not actually speak. He is the bringer of rain and the water carrier of the gods. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. American Indian Painting of the Southwest and Plains Areas [SOLD], Size: 2-1/2 x 7-1/4 image; 9-1/4 x 14 framed. "Thanks so much. Eduard S. Curtis. During ceremony, a team will be composedof fourteen dancers: the leader Yeibichai - theTalking God, six male dancers, six womendancers, and finally, the Water Sprinkler - theGod of Precipitated Waters. At some distance away is a brush enclosure where the dancers don the sacred masks which have been ritually prepared by the medicine man. American Indian dance styles In Native American dance: The Southwest dances such as the curative yeibichai of the Navajo. There is also a leader, Talking God, and a fourteenth Yei, the Water Sprinkler. AGE: ca. Considered highly controversial because of their sacred depiction of the holy Navajo beings. light-colored background and used a plethora of aniline-dyed Caribbean Chief Blanket Rugs The masked dancer personifies the god represented. Want to learn more about the painting you found while clearing out the attic? Year Released. If you could see the back of the mask, it would be white. We are artist too, so we know how important it is to showcase art. Much displeasure was exhibited by traditional Navajo when some weavers and painters began picturing Yei in forms that were to be sold to non-Indians. Lukachukai was accepted during the 1950s as a second region or style center of Yei and Yeibichai Navajo Indian weavings. Asia They each wear a blue mask with two eagle feathers above the mask. His birth in 1916 was after some Navajo began illustrating Yei in textile and painted form, so he grew up in a period where it did not appear to be taboo but was more acceptable. Regardless of the monetary value of your artwork, if it is personally meaningful, you should consider having the object conserved. Subscribe to Magzter Gold to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,000+ magazines and newspapers. www.navajorug.com. GENERAL REGION:North American Navajo Yeibichai are masked human dancers impersonating the Yei deities of Navajo cosmology. The Yei Be Chei Navajo Rug in the image above is an early and unusual portrayal of the Yei with feather andsmaller Yei figures at their feet with floating Yei spirits in the stylized storm pattern design. You have some really great narratives that go with your rugs. 100% GUARANTEED: If you are not satisfied, return rug, in the same condition as it was received, within 10 days and your purchase price will be fully refunded less shipping costs. The myth characters personified in this rite are termed Ybchai, Grandfather or Paternal Gods. The figures in the weaving can be identified by their unique features: Talking God leads on the left side of the weaving. Site content 1998-2023 Adobe Gallery. These weavings emerged from the Shiprock, New Mexico area after the turn of the 1900s when weavers began putting the figures of Deities from the traditional sand painting ceremonies in their rugs. Six male yeibichai dancers follow Talking God. Yeibichai weavings constitute a small but highly collectible category of Navajo textiles. 1970s The beauty of color and design are on full display in the exhibition Through the Kaleidoscope at Exhibit C Native Gallery & Gifts in Oklahoma City. This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 70 years or fewer. TITLE:Yei Bi Chei Ganaskidi The Heard Museum presents a large collection of contemporary art from Indigenous North America. early 1900s, Yanapah, a Navajo weaver married to trader On view now at King Galleries in Santa Fe, New Mexico, is Charging Forward, a new two-artist show featuring the pottery of Kaa Folwell and the paintings of Derek No-Sun Brown. Only on the last day of the ceremony do the dancers dress up in costume. The latest news, articles, and resources sent to your inbox weekly. In the early 1920s, They also wear a spruce ruff around their necks, a kit fox pelt hanging down, and a short kilt with a concho belt. Click on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. For answers, be prepared for a little detective work. This is a Christmas present for my dad's mom. Edward S. Curtis. Add a one-line explanation of what this file represents, Navajo Yebichai (Yei Bi Chei) dancers. The Night Chant or The Yeibitchai Dance is one such ceremony for which you may not come across a lot of detailed descriptions. Entdecke Postkarte - Monument Valley - Navajo County, Arizona in groer Auswahl Vergleichen Angebote und Preise Online kaufen bei eBay Kostenlose Lieferung fr viele Artikel! placing pictorial elements into their weavings. This button displays the currently selected search type. Four areas of influence contributed Curative ceremonies, with long song cycles, are emphasized by the Navajo, along with circular social dances, recalling those of the Great Plains tribes. The leader of the dancers is Talking God, the feather headdress dancer to the left. USA, 1900. Circa 1920. Galleries and dealers come together to bring World Tribal and Native American Art to homes through a virtual event. This piece represents the Nightway ceremony of the Navajos, in which a medicine man calls upon the power of the Yeibichai to heal someone. This story is from the April - May 2020 edition of Native American Art Magazine. first appeared in Navajo weavings before the turn of the twentieth Your email address will not be published. All or some of the above mentioned deities Yeibichai 5 Navajo Female Yeibichai Dancer Dolls 19.5cm ,, I . yarns for the creation of the yei figures. You can findNative American beaded purses, coffee mugs, jewelry, and more. Male Yeis have round heads and FemaleYeis have square heads. MAKER:Unknown This resource uses images from photographic surveys in 55 communities in 30 states across the United States as source documents to spark sustained inquiry. The Yeibichai dance is performed in front of a ceremonial hogan that has been built in a remote location near the patient's home. Water Sprinkler can be identified by the three eagle feathers above his blue mask. or where I might try to buy one? We learned that male and female Yeibichai dancers are differentiated by round or square heads. Do you have any replicas of the chief style rugs or the Ganado style ? depictions, Klahs weavings nonetheless had a tremendous Weaving representing the Night Chant ceremony with Yeibichai dancers. A membership group for young professionals who are interested in immersing themselves in the American art experience. The Yei Bi Chei(also spelled Ybichai) is a sacred night dance of the Din (commonly but improperly called Navajo) people of the southwestern United States. Curator Mary Savig details an artists journey to create the powerful performance work Metabolizing the Border that explores the physical and psychological experiences migrants face while crossing the borderlands. Summary: Featuring more than 500 photos and maps, this is the first comprehensive, research-based history of Navajo weavings with imagery inspired by tribal sacred practices. This painting features dancers from the 9 day healing ceremony known as the Yeibachei. Your email address will not be published. Navajo Blankets If the file has been modified from its original state, some details such as the timestamp may not fully reflect those of the original file. Navajo jeweler Boyd Tsosie brings his life and culture into his art. Craftsman David Dave Drake, enslaved for most of his life, produced uncommonly large ceramic jars in 19th-century South Carolina adorned by his poetic verses. 1945, cottonwood, paint, dyed feathers and pipe cleaner, from the collection of Rebecca and Jean-Paul Valette (Photography by Laura Shea). Contrasting the Shiprock Yeis, the Lukachukai rugs tend to have backgrounds of dark gray, tan, gold or brown, and Yei figures are less detailed and colorful. He was an avid student and was known to have stayed in the studio painting until forced to return to the dormitory. traders in the Lukachukai, Arizona and Shiprock, New Mexico area Clitso Dedman, consisting of fourteen figures, including representations of Talking god, Water Sprinkler, a medicine man, patient, and ten male and female dancers, realistically carved and with various attachments and accouterments. The last participant is Water Sprinkler, who provides an element of comic relief by shaking a tattered fox pelt at the spectators. Great data. The ceremony lasts nine days and has a healing function for tribe members and is generally performed in the winter. FW04420_201 Track Number. The Lukachukai area, south of Shiprock, also was an early source of Yei weavings. It can take someone as much as five to six years to become competent enough to conduct their first ceremony. Other elements includedmay be: gourds, ruffs of spruce around the neck,fox pelts, moccasins, woven garters or sashes,arrows, corn, clouds, stars, and more. Buy Track 0.99 Buy Track 0.99 Track Info. The ceremony lasts nine days and has a healing function for tribe members and is generally performed in the winter. PO Box Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. The Yei Be Chei dancers are the humanimpersonators who perform the ceremonies. sandpainting designs. Europe This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published (or registered with the U.S. An ethnologist and linguistic expert, Washington Matthews, is one of the very few people who wrote extensively about it in his book The Night Chant, which was published in 1902. MAIN MATERIAL: antelope leather into their own Navajo rug creations. Both wear ceremonial regalia and paint their bodies white with clay. Talking God leads on the left side of the weaving. These early Navajo yei weavings typically had a white or other of weaving graces many a fine collection of Navajo rugs. These 60-to-95-minute units pair thinking patterns with works of art to instill a thinking disposition transferable across classroom curriculum and into the wider world. to the development of Navajo yei and yeibichai weavings. these religious figures into their rugs. Four areas of influence contributed to the development of Navajo yei and yeibichai weavings. Most of the present-day information comes from the data recorded by the Europeans who came into North America in the sixteenth century, but even the records are not completely accurate because the Europeans were neither familiar with Native American cultures and nor they did they understand any. Ceremonies are performed to either attract or exorcise effects to The People. The figures in the weaving can be identified by their unique features: Not shown on this weaving are the six female dancers who would traditionally follow the males. Tsihnahjinnie was born near Chinle, Arizona in 1916. He often plays the role of the clown giving comic relief as he performs his dance moves. However, if there were not enough qualified younger men, one or more mature women might be invited to perform the female Yei roles. Hanford, California 93232. It doesnt take any expertise to realize that Navajo rugs are beautiful works of art. The rugs from this area tended to be larger and the . Provenance: from a collector of Native paintings from California, Recommended Reading: American Indian Paintings of the Southwest and Plains Areas by Dorothy Dunn, American Indian Painting of the Southwest and Plains Areas [SOLD] Bird Navajo Rugs New Mexico started weaving sacred figures and other design elements CEREMONY: Yei Bi Chei Dance NAVAJO YEI BE CHEI (Yeibichai) The Yei Be Chei dancers are the human impersonators who perform the ceremonies. ETHNICITY:Din (Navajo) So, make sure you keep an eye out for our upcoming blogs about Night Chant or The Yeibitchai Dance. Yeibachi (sic) Yeibichai. Four major rites are carried out throughout nine nights. Yeibichai Dance Performed by Navajo Students - YouTube 0:00 / 2:34 Yeibichai Dance Performed by Navajo Students 21,483 views Apr 17, 2019 240 Dislike Share ElDuroTuco 1.25K subscribers Navajo. more animated form to portray the dancing of the yei during the In the early 1900's, Yanapah, a Navajo weaver married to trader Richard Simpson and living near Farmington, New Mexico, started weaving large single and double figure vertical yei . ", To Order: Call 559-259-9482 or Click Here to Email. At some distance away is a brush enclosure where the dancers don the sacred masks which have been ritually prepared by the medicine man. Talking God is distinguished by his white mask with eagle feathers. The masked dancer personifies the god represented. who was responsible for the creation of rugs depicting Navajo Talking God, the water sprinkler, fringe mouth yeii, medicine Condition: appears to be in original condition but has not been examined out of the frame. Charley's Navajo Rugs for Sale is proudly powered by WordPress These dancers are more humanlike, and uplifted feet commonly suggest the action of the dance. North America 1991-1992, carved and painted cottonwood, sand, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 1997.124.103A-Q. He then attended school in Santa Fe and became a student of Dorothy Dunn at the Santa Fe Indian School. The large rug measures 5' x 8' and can be seen in detail at: http://bit.ly/nrg-ght794It is part of the Woven Holy People Show at Nizhoni Ranch Gallery. Yeibichai weavings depict (4,541 3,448 pixels, file size: 9.67 MB, MIME type: Edward Curtis; E. S. Curtis; Edward Sheriff Curtis; E.S. Entries (RSS) and Comments (RSS). In a healing ritual, the patient is sweated, and then songs are sung. 01:42 Country(s) United States. The original black&white picture is Wellcome Trust. the actual ceremonial dance performed in the winter months. We are passionate for art. They are: Even though an extremely demanding ceremony, Night Chant plays a pivotal role in Navajo life, and just one blog is not enough to explain all the rites and rituals associated with it. Navajo: Night Chant, Yeibichai Dance View Cart. All hand carded, and spun, and hand dyed native wool. One of the most sacred festivals for the Navajo tribe, it is a healing ritual that seeks to cure the ailing and also restore the delicate balance and order of relationships between people within their universe. Today Yeibichai dance teams generally are made up of six men and six women. An The ceremonially attired dance teams enter the firelit area in front of the hogan led by Talking God or Yeibichai, the grandfather of the Yeis, who carries his sacred Abert squirrel bag. 1951 Catalog Number. A Navajo set of Yeibichai Dancers. OTHER MATERIALS: wood; pigment; dyed wool. To that end, this week we want to focus on this skillfully made Yeibichai dancers Navajo rug and the story woven into its cloth. There are male and female Yeibichai. During the singing, the Yei Bi Chei representing the gods treat the patient while calling wu-hu-hu-hu-u. The gods represented are speechless and live in sacred caves, mountains and canyons. The ceremony ends with thechanting of the Bluebird Song which celebrates the happiness and the peace that the bluebirdsymbolizes. Raised Outline Rugs Copied Cherokee Art Market welcomes collectors from all over the globe to its website for a virtual event from December 7 to 21. Do you know of anyone who weaves the sand paintings? He also wears a spruce ruff around his neck, a white deerskin sash knotted over his left shoulder, and a kit fox pelt hanging down his back. Navajo: Night Chant, Yeibichei Various Artists - Topic 48K views 7 years ago 45K views 3 months ago Performance (Ribbon Dance) at the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony - WRHS Sport Center. This page was last edited on 12 July 2021, at 16:45. Required fields are marked *. Deeply protective of their complex spiritual life, the Navajo . MORE STORIES FROM NATIVE AMERICAN ART MAGAZINE. Culture Group(s) . The Yeibichai are supernatural beings who created the Navajo people and taught them how to live in harmony with the universe. Navajo Rugs height of tallest 10 1/2in. The Nightway includes singing, dancing, pollen blessing, sandpainting . Phone (505) 955-0550Fax (866) 919-9506www.adobegallery.cominfo@adobegallery.com, + Add to my watchlist partnership with a prominent medicine man named Hastiin Klah The Night Chant or The Yeibitchai Dance is one such ceremony for which you may not come across a lot of detailed descriptions. Charley's Navajo Rugs A new Native American-owned art gallery is set to open near the end of the year in Buffalo, New York, in the middle of the Allentown historic district. The only use was for true Navajo sandpaintings used in healing ceremonies. The Lukachukai Navajo Indian rugs are thicker, nubbier, and coarser. Yei Bi Chei masks are always made by skilled medicine men. This file contains additional information such as Exif metadata which may have been added by the digital camera, scanner, or software program used to create or digitize it. Navajo Dancers dress up as Yei (Navajo Gods) during the Night Chant Ceremony, a nine-day-long ceremony only performed in the cold time of the year, when snakes are hibernating. Navajo-Artist.com, Lajasta Wauneka Gallup, New Mexico 87301, Email: info@Navajo-Artist.com Phone: (505) 409-5796. You're welcome. Dancers Of The Nightway Thursday, March 3rd, 2016// March/April 2016 Clitso Dedman (Din Navajo), Yeibichai dancers, ca. Charley's Navajo Rugs for SaleAuthentic Navajo Rugs for Sale Native American Navajo Indian Weaving. In the earliest pictorials, Yeibichai were shown in frontal view, but by 1925-1930, most Yeibichai pictorials show the dancers in profile. It is matted and framed in a wood frame. Storm Navajo Rugs He can be identified by the four eagle feathers on top of his white mask. and people will appear in a yeibichai weaving, typically in a were encouraging weavers to create multiple figure yei weavings. She has always wanted a Navajo rug and this is the year! In the 19th century, a Yeibichai dance team would consist entirely of men. Forward to Friend. He also carries a kit fox pelt in his hand and wears a concho belt around his waist and moccasins. Differing from the Shiprock Yei, the Yeibichai Navajo Indian rugs are usually bordered weavings and depict Navajo dancers impersonating Yei spirits. English: Navajo Yebichai dancers. men and patients. Curtis; Edward Sherriff Curtis, https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/. . Richard Simpson and living near Farmington, New Mexico, started He is followed by six male and six female Yeis. Log in, Navajo rugs: More than just a pretty base | Arizona Sonora News Service, AUTHENTIC NAVAJO WEAVING Toh-Atin Gallery : I'd Order That. influence on weavers of that area and eventually weavers in northwest The timestamp is only as accurate as the clock in the camera, and it may be completely wrong. 6 Duration. In spite of their iconography, they never served a ceremonial function. in northwest New Mexico came from the Newcomb Trading Posts Sandpainting Rugs The painting is signed in lower left but not dated. The role of the female Yeis was assigned to teenage boys or young men of smaller stature who would let their down their hair and wear the appropriate rectangular female Yei masks, all the while dancing in their traditional male kilts. The ceremony also involves a dance with fourteen people: six men, six women, a dancer representing the Talking God, and one representing the Water Sprinkler. Glad that you've enjoyed it. TYPE: helmet mask These weavings evoke scenes from the ninth and final night of the Nightway healing ceremony during which a succession of teams of masked dancers appear, impersonating male and female Yeis. A description of the ritual and form of the Ybchai ceremony,Klj Hatl, or Night Chant ,covering its nine days of performance, will give a comprehensive idea of all Navaho nine-day ceremonies, which combine both religious and medical observances. Pictorial Rugs Curative ceremonies, with long song cycles, are emphasized by the Navajo, along with circular social dances, recalling those of the Great Plains tribes. by Dorothy Dunn (1903-1992). Bringing up the rear is Water Sprinkler, the Navajo God of Precipitated Waters. frequently with multiple figures in a horizontal row often surrounded Traditional Yeibichai Dancers Weaving. And youll be able to appreciate the meaning behind the intricate weaving and vibrant colors. Navajo Yeibichai are masked dancers representing the Deity Yei Supernatural Beings. Most of the Yeibichai patterns showed Talking God and Water Sprinkler facing forward, with blue masked dancers facing sideways, legs bent in a dance position. The picture is housed in the Wellcome Collection and is on display. Get notified of new items. Date: 1900: Source: Photo by Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg) Author: Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Monument Valley Navajo Children Rest Herd Sheep Totem Pole Men Horse Postcard at the best online prices at eBay! Highly controversial because of their sacred An ethnologist and linguistic expert, Washington Matthews, is one of the very few people who wrote extensively about it in his bookThe Night Chant,which was published in 1902. But it can give you a greater sense of appreciation when you realize the history and mythology behind specific weavings.