Sandpainting Tapestry (Whirling Logs pattern variant)

Sand painting textiles are tapestries woven from designs traditionally drawn in colored sand, ground mineral pigments and pollen by Navajo medicine men during curing rituals. The ceremonies are mythic narratives, essentially song ceremonials, and the accompanying sand paintings illustrate episodes of the narratives and function as an integral part of the cure. Sand paintings have always been regarded as sacred and impermanent. At some time between 1919 and 1930, respected holy man Hosteen Klah began to reproduce sand paintings as weavings; the practice made many Navajo uneasy, but the tradition has continued. Klah taught his techniques and designs to his two nieces, Gladys and Irene Manuelito, who became expert weavers in their own right. This superb textile combines elements of the Whirling Logs and Fringe Mouth designs.