Thank You for Sharing H.D.!

One of our newest customers was searching for a rug that would compliment his furniture collection from around the globe, his custom doors, tile floors and his father's original artwork. 

He chose a weaving from our Exclusive Churro Collection,  Cara Yazzie Gorman's Teec Nos Pos for his floor.

Just smashing!

End of the Rainbow

Color Riot at the Heard Hits the Road

Newest Addition!

Outrageous Jelly Bean 1870's Transitional has made it's way to the Gallery just in time for our Transitional Exhibit!

SOLD - GHT 2316,  Jelly Bean Transitional Blanket,  Circa 1870's, 55" x 87"

Antique Jelly Bean Optical Transitional Navajo blanket, beautiful variegation.  Prior to regional styles, this weaving was possibly woven in the Red Mesa/Teec Nos Pos area due to highlighting and Mountain Mahogany Root.  Hand Carded, hand dyed vibrant colors with a touch of Autumn, woven with Native wool. 

In Transition - American Indian Transitional Rug Gallery Show

 September 2019 to TBD...

Time changes life for everyone, and that’s especially true for the Navajo. During the last part of 19th century, trading posts opened up and traditional life for the Navajo began to evolve rapidly; especially when it came to Navajo weavers. It was with the changes to wool, newly available dyes, and the transition from wearing blankets to floor rugs; that gave way to this “transitional” period and thus, Transitional Rugs were born. 

History of Transitional Rugs and Blankets
It began in the late 1870s that “transitional” blankets began to overtake the “late classic”  blanket. And within a few decades, the Transitional Rug began to copy those elements and share in their colors and designs. Larger and heavier than their counterparts, bordered Transitional Rug weavings began to evolve and the old classic banded-style of wearing blankets were nearly phased out altogether by the early 1900s.

Currently at the Gallery
We have filled the walls with some of our favorite Native American Transitional rugs and blankets.  The variety of styles, size and colors make Transitionals really interesting.  Click here to view the weavings available from this show.  

Rock Stars at the Ranch!

Kevin Gover, Director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian, Robin Demyanovich, Steve and Gail Getzwiller and Anne Marie Gover

Well, rock stars in the museum world that is.

It was an honor having Kevin and Anne Marie Gover visit the gallery.  Kevin is the Director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian.  We enjoyed our time together and look forward to future visits!

Exciting times at the NMAI!  The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian will establish a National Native American Veterans Memorial to honor the Military Service of Native Americans. Situated on the National Mall, a place that draws nearly 24 million visitors annually, the memorial will honor American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian veterans and symbolize the country’s respect for Native Americans’ service and patriotism.  Please visit their website and support the memorial. 

Another Pleased Customer in Virginia

We are so happy to see our weavings in our customers homes.  This weaving is part traditional Teec Nos Pos, but it incorporates Bistie curls and Red Mesa highlights.  It is just stunning.

Thanks for sharing G!

As you can see our weavings take on a whole new level of beauty when added to a home or office.  We believe the old adage "must see to appreciate" was coined by a person who collected a Navajo rug!

How this weavings looked like on our website:

On a customers floor:

We LOVE it!

WINNERS! 2019 Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial

Each year we submit weavings from our Churro and Contemporary Collections for judging.  In the last 40+ years many of our weavers have won ribbons and prize money.  We are so happy and proud of our weavers this year.  From our  entries the weavers brought home 7 Blue Ribbons,  5 Red Ribbons
and
2 Best of Categories!  Hurry - these weavings won't last long!

Congrats to all!

Blue Canyon Navajo Rug: Frances Begay : Churro 1595, $ 5,700
Award:  Best of Category-Innovative Design & 1st Place

  
Two Grey Hills Navajo Rug: Elsie Bia : Churro 1588, $ 6,500
Award:  Best of Category-Natural design & 1st Place

2nd Phase Navajo Chief Blanket :Jalucie Marianito : Churro 1561, $ 6,500
Award:  1st Place & Special Ribbon

Multi Pattern Navajo Weaving : Kathy Marianito : Churro 1604 : 
Award: 1st Place

1st Phase Navajo Chief Blanket : Judy Marianito : Churro 1583, $ 6,000
Award: 1st Place

 
Teec Nos Pos Navajo Rug: Cara Gorman : Churro 1596, $ 6,500
Award:   1st Place

Teec Nos Pos Navajo Rug : Frances Begay : Churro 1600, $ 2,700
Award:  2nd Place

Ganado Navajo Rug: Elsie Bia : Churro 1592, $ 5,500
Award: 2nd Place

3rd Phase Navajo Chief Blanket : Kathy Marianito : Churro 1551, $ 5,500
Award:  2nd Place

Teec Nos Pos Navajo Rug : Gabrielle Chester : 3382, $ 2,700
Award: 1st Place

   
Navajo Chief Variant : Ruby Watchman : 3377,  $ 1,900
Award: 2nd Place 

Yei Be Chei Navajo Weaving : Janice Van Winkle : 3385, $ 3,900
Award: 2nd Place 

North to Alaska!

Some of our favorite clients came to the gallery and chose beautiful pieces for their Alaska home.  As you can see their flare for interior design is fantastic!

Make Forever Navajo Your Charitable Cause

From Floor to Loom - Preserving the Navajo Heritage

The Navajo Sandpainting Weaving is ranked among the Navajo tribe’s best known and best loved art forms. The original Navajo dry painting is traditionally performed for religious or medicinal purposes; it is a sacred practice. Sandpaintings are used in ceremonies designed to summon supernatural forces, they represent the Navajo’s religious world and are customarily part of ceremonies that will heal and restore a patient that is out of balance.

HASTEEN KLAH

The Navajo Sandpainting Textiles: an art form that owes its existence to Weaver, Artist, and Medicine Man Hasteen Klah (also spelled Hastiin Klah, and Hosteen Klah, 1867-1937). He began his training in the traditionally female craft of weaving with his mother and sister in the 1880s.  He first began to learn the Navajo medicine ways – chanting and sandpainting – from his uncle. In learning the Nightway ceremony, Klah worked under the guidance of Laughing Singer and Tall Chanter. While most Navajo singers can master only one or two complete chants, Klah mastered at least eight. Among the ceremonies which he mastered were the Hailway, the Mountainway, the Nightway, the Windway, and the Chiricahua.

Hasteen had seen decades of unending efforts by the US Government and missionaries to transition the Navajo into the mainstream and adopt Christianity. Hasteen felt that the future of Navajo culture and religion was in danger, and yearned to preserve it.

IT BEGINS

In 1911 Hasteen Klah wove a blanket of Yei Be Chei dancers which portrayed sacred masks. Local singers felt that his was sacrilegious and demanded that Klah have a ceremony to expel the evil and that he destroy the weaving. Instead, Klah sent the weaving to Washington and experienced no negative effects.

In 1917 Klah took Franc Newcomb, trader Arthur Newcomb’s wife, to a Nightway ceremony. After the witnessing the ceremony, she became passionate about helping Klah preserve the traditions in as many media as possible. She attempted to draw from memory the designs from the sandpaintings which were used in the ceremony. She was unsuccessful and Klah sketched them for her in pencil. Newcomb then made these into watercolor reproductions and hung them in her bedroom so that the other Navajo would not be offended. After seeing that no punishment occurred, Klah then did an additional 27 paintings for her.

In 1919 Klah began to weave sandpainting rugs which were based on the chants he was qualified to sing. His first sandpainting weaving was a whirling log design from the Nightway ceremony.

Hasteen Klah with one of his Shootingway sandpainting tapestries at the Newcomb’s trading post, Navajo, New Mexico, ca. 1927. Photograph probably by Arthur or Frances Newcomb.

Over the years, Klah worked with a number of non-Indian scholars and allowed them to record his songs, ceremonies, stories, and sandpaintings. His only Navajo student – Beaal Begay – died in 1931 , so much of his knowledge of ceremony was not passed on in the Navajo traditional way. However, Klah and his nieces, Gladys and Irene, wove more than 70 sandpainting weavings between 1919 and 1937, preserving those ceremonial sandpaintings for the future.

One of the Anglos who worked with Klah was Mary Cabot Wheelwright (introduction through the Newcombs) who founded the Museum of Navajo Ceremonial Art in 1937. She had been permitted to record many of Klah’s songs and erected the museum to preserve his medicine knowledge and his sacred objects.

The museum is now known as the Wheelwright Museum. The Museum displayed many of his drawings and paintings of sand paintings, as well as his sandpainting weavings. The Wheelwright is no longer actively involved in the study of Navajo religion, however it maintains growing, world-renowned collections that document Navajo art and culture from 1850 to the present. It also presents changing exhibitions on traditional and contemporary Navajo and other Native American arts.

Getzwiller Historic Collection: Yei Be Chei : GHT 2215

This sand painting ceremony is protected by a border of arrow fletchings on all sides, Yei Dancers prepare to dance in a healing ceremony.  Talking God with all of the feathers on his head wears a deer pelt as a sash and carries a weasel skin.  The dancers are all male with the exception of the female with the square head in the center.  The male dancers are adorned with fox tails hanging from their skirts. Calling God is seen at the other end with brown feathers on his head. All are wearing collars made of spruce. 

This is an exceptional weaving and was featured in our Woven Holy People exhibit.  You can see the exhibit guide here.  

It is available for purchase,  call Beth or Robin for pricing: 520-455-5020.

To view all Sand Paintings available for purchase click here

You Little Beauty!