Woman and man making sandpainting (dry painting). Night Chant (Yeibichai). Totso Trading Post, Lukachukai, AZ; December 13-21, 1963. Far view of entire painting. Per Door Book/Accession Record: Woman and man making a sand painting, far view of entire painting, Yeibichai, Arizona, 1963.
Donor:
William R. Heick
Collection place:
Arizona
Verbatim coll. place:
Arizona
Culture or time period:
Navajo
Collector:
William R. Heick
Collection date:
1963
Object type:
ethnography
Object class:
Black-and-white prints (photographs)
Accession date:
March 22, 2000
Department:
Still and motion photography
Dimensions:
length 35.56 centimeters and width 24.13 centimeters
Comment:
Per labels provided by Ira Jacknis: Woman and man making a sandpainting, Night Chant (Yeibichai). Totso Trading Post, Lukachukai, Arizona; December 13-21, 1963. Commonly called "sandpaintings," these ritual designs are more properly called drypaintings, as they are made of charcoal, cornmeal, pollen, flowers and other plants, and ground shells and minerals as well as colored sand. Made by the singer or his assistants, the drypainting may take four to six people working three to five hours to complete, depending on its complexity. The average size is about six feet in diameter. They depict the Yeis or Holy People involved in the myth relevant to the ceremony. In the photo of the entire painting, the Night Chant singer sits in a chair. (related: 13-5983)