Bidspirit auction | Navajo Night Chant Sandpainting Weaving

Navajo Night Chant Sandpainting Weaving 4'10”x4'9” - Dine (Navajo) wool pictorial sandpainting weaving depicting ”Night Chant” imagery, ca. 1920. The central field featuring a bold red Spider Woman cross set against a deep dark-brown ground, dividing the composition into four quadrants. A lightning-bolt motif crackles along each spoke of the cross, while each quadrant is flanked by two Yei figures: divine beings that are believed to serve as intermediaries between humans and the sacred. The angled arrangement of the elongated figures forming a whirling log: a hallmark symbol associated with the Night Chant. The central composition is enveloped on three sides by an elongated Rainbow Guardian figure. Bordered by a solid red band. During the early 20th century, translating ephemeral sandpainting imagery into woven textiles was a radical and contested act. In traditional practice, ceremonial sandpaintings were destroyed after use, and depicting the Holy People permanently was considered taboo. Early weavers navigated this tension carefully, sometimes altering details or omitting sacred attributes to avoid spiritual repercussions. The ”Nightway” or ”Night Chant” itself is a complex nine-night healing ceremony in which singers create elaborate sandpaintings to summon the Yei, restoring the patient's health and the essential state of ”hozhoo”: balance, beauty, and harmony. Length: 4 ft 10 in x width: 4 ft 9 in. Condition: The colors are bold and deep. No odors or stains. There are no signs of insect activity. There are light areas of threadbareness throughout, commensurate with age. There is one area along the extreme right edge where the selvage has broken.