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A particularly beautiful and very large

historic Navajo “Father Sky and Mother Earth” Sandpainting weaving, c. 1960’s-70’s

This weaving is the real deal, it’s not an imitation or a small lightweight sanitized tourist derivative, this is a full-on, full-sized, full-throated Navajo sandpainting weaving with all its full-sized sandpainting majesty, power and impact.

Actual Navajo sandpaintings themselves are extremely complex and highly-detailed ritual compositions hand drawn in various multi-colored dry sands on a clean flat light sand background surface which are used in the conduct of Navajo healing ceremonies to summon various gods to cure or prevent various maladies and sandpainting weavings are slightly stylized versions of these dry sand paintings which were historically first made by prominent Navajo medicine men such as Hosteen Klah or under the close supervision and guidance of these Medicine Men in order to prevent any harm from coming to the weaver for capturing the sacred images in a permanent form as opposed to the temporary form of the actual sandpaintings themselves which are by ancient custom always destroyed at the conclusion of the ceremony, literally and deliberately tossed into the air and scattered to the winds.

NAVAJO SANDPAINTING WEAVINGS:

THE BEGINNING OF A GREAT AND ENDURING TRADITION

Pictured above at left, Navajo Medicine Man, Hosteen Klah (1867-1937) was the first Navajo weaver to accurately record the sacred healing sandpaintings, as pictured above right, in permanent weaving form in the 1920’s. When he didn’t die or suffer grievous harm from doing this, other weavers such as Atlnaba and Klah's niece, Gladys Manuelito soon followed suit often under the protection and with the expert guidance of Medicine Men such as Klah and Miguelito.

In 1936-37, Santa Fe arts patron Mary Cabot Wheelwright and architect, William Penhallow Henderson built The Museum of Navajo Ceremonial Art in Santa Fe (now The Wheelwright Museum) in the shape of a Navajo Hogan to house and display a collection of Hosteen Klah’s extraordinary large sandpainting weavings.

Above left, Hosteen Klah with an "Angled Corn with Yeis" weaving, July 1925. Photo by Dane Coolidge. Photo source and © Bancroft Library, University of California Berkeley. Note that this image has been

reproduced from "Navajo Weavings With Ceremonial Themes", by Rebecca M. Vallette and Jean Paul Vallette, Schiffer Publishing, 2017. Right photo source and © Mullarky Photo, Gallup, NM.

FATHER SKY AND MOTHER EARTH

"Father Sky and Mother Earth" depict a central piece of the Navajo (Diné) creation story. These two figures are seen in Navajo sandpaintings, as part of traditional healing ceremonies as well as sandpainting art or weavings. The story behind this beautiful imagery is below.

The first creation of the Great Spirit was Father Sky and Mother Earth, from whence all life sprang. The crossing of their hands and feet signifies the union of heaven and earth, bound eternally together by the Rainbow Guardian. Regardless of in which direction we may look, we find sky and earth fused as one on the horizon. The physical earth and sky or mind must function together to produce new life. All things are conceived first in thought before they become physical manifestations. This is the meaning of the line running from the head of Father Sky to the head of Mother Earth.

The stars, moon (sometimes the sun), and the constellations are shown on the body of Father Sky. The zigzags crossing his shoulders, arms, and legs form the Milky Way. From the bosom of Mother Earth radiates the life-giving energy of the sun, bringing fertility to the womb of Mother Earth, from whence springs the seed of all living things. Mineral, vegetable, and animal all things grow, mature, bear fruit, and fall. They all return back to the source from which they came (represented by the ovals at the bottom of Father Sky and Mother Earth). The bat, the sacred messenger of the spirit of the night, guards the sandpainting at the opening in its border.”

-Text source and © Garlands, Sedona, AZ

“The Navajo creation story centers around the deities Father Sky and Mother Earth, who are seen as the parents of all things. Their relationship and the balance between them are central themes in many Navajo ceremonies, prayers, and songs. The concept of Father Sky and Mother Earth is a foundational element in Navajo teachings about the world and how to live in harmony with it.”

The particular image in this sandpainting weaving is the Mother of all sandpainting images so to speak. “Father Sky and Mother Earth” is quite literally the Father and Mother of all Navajo sandpaintings and it is the foundational bedrock of the entire Navajo creation story. According to the great Navajo creation story, the unique union of “Father Sky” and “Mother Earth” are the source of all life.

The very first known “Father Sky and Mother Earth” Navajo sandpainting weaving is pictured above at left. It was woven

by a weaver named Tses Pezia Bitse (Braided Hair’s Daughter). It reportedly took her seven months to weave under the protection of The Mountain Way Chant and the weaving was exhibited in August, 1926 at Verkamp’s Trading Post at The South Rim of The Grand Canyon in Arizona with a sales price of $250. Another early “Father Sky, Mother Earth” sandpainting weaving done in the 1930’s by the distinguished young prodigy weaver, Atlnaba, the talented prodigy weaver daughter of esteemed Navajo Medicine Man, Miguelito or Red Point, is shown at above right. This Father Sky, Mother Earth sandpainting itself is customarily made by the “Hataali” or Medicine Man in the Medicine Hogan during the last day of the nine-day long great Male “Shooting Way Chant”. The patient or patients sit on the sandpainting during the ceremony and is ritually cured by its power.

This weaving was done by an unknown, yet clearly very skilled and highly-accomplished weaver. It might possibly be Anna Mae Tanner as certain aspects of the weaving appear similar to certain specific aspects of other sandpainting weavings know to have been woven by her. The weaving is done with a medium grey-colored background in aniline-dyed commercial wool yarns and it measures a considerably-sized 54 1/2" or 4 feet 6 1/2" in height and 67" or 5 feet 7" in width. The weaving properly and beautifully depicts its two main figures "Father Sky" and "Mother Earth" next to each other with their various attributes surrounded by their "Rainbow Guardian" and accompanied by their two other traditional paired guardians, the Sun's medicine bundle at the upper left and the sacred bat figure at the upper right.

The weaving is in generally excellent original condition with no holes, no moth damages and no restorations.

There is some degree of fading, approximately 10-15% or so, to the weaving’s primary or "A" side. There is also a narrow streak of what appears to be dye run down a 2" or so section of the left side of the weaving’s "B" side. This is of no

real consequence at all because the weaving's "B" side was never meant to be displayed since that is not the proper orientation of the sandpainting's image, it is merely the back side of the weaving. All of the weaving’s selvedges and tassels are intact; there is one very tiny pull to the bottom selvedge cord. The weaving is done in a fairly tight weave and measures about 10 warps per inch and approximately 18-20 wefts per inch.

While we cannot guarantee that this extraordinary Navajo Sandpainting weaving will always cure everything that ails you or always prevent you from harm, we can definitely promise you that having it around will always certainly make you feel fantastic and happy that you are in its beautiful and benevolent presence.

Price $7,650

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At left above, the Sun's Medicine Bundle guardian on the sandpainting weaving. At right above, the Sacred Bat guardian on the sandpainting weaving. At top center above, the weaving shown in its correct "A" side orientation. At bottom center, the reverse, back or "B" side of the weaving showing an inconsequential slight dye run on the left side.