Navajo Rug Weaving by Luana Tso
Sandpainting: Coyote Stealing Fire

48" W x 48" L



 

Click on Pic for Enlargement


Generally speaking, Pictorial weavings are a reflection of the world as the weaver sees it, usually depicting her immediate environment. But as the world around the weavers has changed, so have the Pictorials. Evolving from scenes of traditional reservation life, to trains, trading posts, and trucks, the subject matter of Pictorials could almost be interpreted as a visual history of life on the reservation over the past Century.

Sandpainting rugs, first woven by Navajo Medicine Man Hosteen Klah in the 1920's, are woven representations of traditional Navajo healing designs. They are most certainly the rarest of all Navajo rug styles, as many weavers today will not weave them.

A yellow bar going north to south and ending in white crosses intersects a white bar extending from east to west with yellow crosses on the ends. In this set of paintings these bars ending in crosses occur often. They probably typify a spiritual condition, as the cross symbol stands for the spirit element in other sandpaintings. There is a white circle in the center, and in all of these paintings yellow seems to denote the state of initiation of the patient, while the white denotes the higher initiation of the priest. The black figure lying near a round, many-colored house, with the fire symbol beside him, is Hashjeshjin, the Fire God, who possessed the first fire.

The zig-zag crossing his shoulders is the Milky Way. He holds the fire stick in one hand, and his food and a big red medicine pouch in the other. From the fire symbol, a red line leads to Coyote, who is shown bringing to Estsay-Hasteen and Estsa-Assun, First Man and First Woman, the fire which he stole from the sleeping Hashjeshjin. First Man is sitting near his round black house, dressed in checked garments. First Woman is dressed in brown - the color of the earth. The fire is shown in the door of their hogan. In the section with Coyote, the white moon is shown, with a rainbow and constellation of stars. In the fourth part of the painting is an eagle over a rainbow and the blue symbol of the sun. Stars and constellations occur in all four quarters of the painting.

From Navajo Creation Myth; 1942, Hasteen Klah, Recorded by Mary C. Wheelwright.

Special Collections

SOLD

Other Items Available
in the
Gallery Area


If you have questions about this
item, please contact Brandon:
sales@ancientnations.com

1.800.854.1359

Ask About Our Lay Away Program

To return to the gallery: Click Here
Additional information: Purchase Details