1930s Navajo Yei Weaving
Tribe: Navajo (Diné)
Item #WA01050
Handwoven Navajo wool Yei pictorial weaving, circa 1930s, featuring a dramatic horizontal composition of female Yei figures against a rich red field. The Yeis are shown with square or rectangular heads, identifying them as female figures.
Interspersed throughout the composition are Dhontsos, or winged messenger figures, traditionally associated with carrying prayers to the Holy People and the heavens. Bows, arrows, feathers, and other ceremonial elements are woven between the figures, creating an unusually detailed and animated composition.
A Rainbow Guardian frames the scene along the lower and side edges. At one end, the Guardian appears to be holding a moon, an especially unusual element that we have not encountered in other Yei weavings and one of the most distinctive details in this piece.
The weaving is executed in handspun wool with aniline-dyed yarns, with a saturated red field accented by black, white, orange, green, gray, and brown. Its large horizontal format and abundance of figural and ceremonial imagery make it an exceptional early Yei pictorial.
96” (8') Width, 46” (3' 10”) Height
- Era
- Circa 1930s
- Dyes
- Aniline Dyes
- Wool
- Handspun
From our Vintage Collection
Our vintage pieces are sourced from private collections. Whenever possible we identify the artist, tribe and approximate date, and any wear that comes with age is part of each piece’s story. Most of our antique Navajo weavings date from the 1870s to the 1940s.
See all antique Navajo weavings →Family owned in Sedona since 1976
Questions? Call (928) 282-4070 or email info@garlands.com
