| PLEASE CLICK EACH THUMBNAIL PHOTO AND DOCUMENT SCAN BELOW
TO VIEW FULL SIZE IMAGE:
|
1298-01 Important
Published in The Swastika Symbol in Navajo
Textiles, DAI Press 2000. Published in First Edition.
Handspun wool61 x 63 1/2 inches
Published in The Swastika Symbol in Navajo
Textiles, DAI Press 2000. Extensive documentation of this rug is on file
including a letter from the trader, Lewis Sabin, to his California buyer
in 1927 describing the rug, and on the design, and on who made it and
which Medicine Men were involved.. The following is part of that
information: " As told by the Navajo medicine man Pete Pnice to the trader
Lewis Sabin, Ft. Defiance, Arizona, 1927: "There was once a wanderer whose
name was Na Who Di Da He (one who gathers the leavings of others). He was
an outcast from his tribe, so after wandering from one place to another
and enduring a great many trials and tribulations, he came to the banks of
the LaPlatte River. And as he stood there watching the waters flowing by
he wondered where they ended. He then decided to find out and, as he had
no friends or home ties to keep him, he made up his mind to crawl into a
hollow log and float down then river to some distant land where he might
find peace and serenity. He then hunted about in the forest until he found
a suitable log from which he cut a portion just long enough to hold
himself and a few herbs for food on the long journey, but as he worked he
heard a voice, as of the wind, whispering, 'Do not do this foolish thing
which means only death to you, but wait in this place four days when you
will be told what to do and, if you do as you are bid, all will be well
with you', all of which advice he decided to accept and sat down to wait.
At dawn of the fourth day he was awakened by voices which seemed a long
way off. They were chanting, 'Who who ha who', and 'Juanna Juanna', and
'He ya Juanna', and 'HA who ha who', which were the calls of the
Haschalti, and Za whu dul zashei, and Ghan is kid di, and Has cha ho gan,
all of whom are the most sacred deities, next to God, in the Night Chant
of The Navajos. As he listened he saw a light approaching from the horizon
and he was afraid, but soon the deities drew near and bade him to be not
afraid. They asked him what he was doing in this place and he told them a
falsehood. They then insisted that he tell them the truth, after which he
told of his life up to the time he had decided to leave the country. After
that he was told to make himself clean of the dirt of that country, then,
by the sprinkling of the meal by the Haschalti, the wind was made to blow
and in a short time there was a hollow log lying close to the bank of the
river into which he was to crawl, and was sealed in by the Haschalti. The
wind then rolled the log into the river on which he journeyed for four
days when he hit a whirlpool and, on looking out of the log through
crystals, he saw the emissaries of the Haschalti, a male and female who
were called Hascha becca and Hascha beod, and represent the Hascha deities
in the Night Chant. Here the log was rolled out of the water and opened by
the Hascha people and Nawhodidahe was told to go in peace. He was soon
joined by a pet turkey which he had left behind. Now he was not so
lonesome and, as the turkey was carrying a bean and three grains of corn,
they planted them in a small place. In the morning they found that the
fairy people had increased their field to a large place, and in four days'
time the crops had matured, and in four more days the corn and beans were
harvested for him by the same people. Thus the first two sand paintings of
the Night Chant originate, one of the Whirling Log and one of the Garden,
and he was then instructed how to prepare these for future use when he
should return to his people, when their only use should be in making
offerings and in giving thanks to their Maker." Excerpted from pp. 7-8 of
The Swastika Symbol in Navajo Textiles by Dennis J. Aigner, Laguna Beach:
DAI Press, 2000. More photos on file and available upon request.
Inventory# 1298-01
Price on Request. Serious Inquiries Only Please. |
