C. 1930, a skilled Navajo weaver envisioned and created this delightful --and RARE--weaving showing 6 HORSES watching the Yeibichai portion of the Diné Nightway Healing Ceremony.  In my 40+ years of studying and collecting old Navajo weavings, I have never before seen a Yeibichai pictorial with horses observing the ceremony.  Due to its uniqueness, Rebecca and Jean-Paul Valette included this weaving in their 2017 book, Navajo Weaving with Ceremonial Themes [see Figure 6.5.14 on p.266 of the book].  In the book, they commented: “In the 1930s, Navajo men would ride their horses to the site of the ceremony and tie them up during the dancing. The inclusion [in this weaving] of six horses seemingly watching the scene adds an original note to this weaving.”  [W9504]

I love antique Navajo hand-woven pictorial weavings in part because each creative weaver puts her own distinctive features in her weavings.  The most valued “Yeibichai pictorial” weavings are those that show realistic details and individual differences and characteristics of the depicted Yei impersonators. Doing so requires more creativity, dedication, time and skill to complete a unique weaving compared to one where every figure is exactly the same.
This delightful weaving is an example of a Diné weaver dedicated to creating a distinctive Yeibichai pictorial more representative of the real life ceremony. The distinctive features in this weaving required not only a creative mind, but many more hours of planning, spinning, dyeing, and weaving this pictorial.

The first wonderful feature that makes this Yeibichai pictorial a unique, distinctive ‘gift’ from its wonderful weaver: depicting 6 horses watching the ceremony! It’s especially delightful that she depicted the horses with their ears standing straight up at attention as they intently watch and listen to the ceremony!  The horses are depicted with different sizes and shapes of heads; & one with a white blaze on its sorrel head!   Notice that 1 poor horse has NO EARS, but doesn’t let that distract him/her from respectfully observing the ceremony! 
The 2nd special feature: she made each Yei impersonator different than the others—which is more realistic of real life. Look closely and notice that the male figures have both subtle and not-so-subtle differences in: height; head size; head feathers, case masks, and colors and intricate designs on their kilts. The 2 female figures have different height, head shape and size, body thickness, and the design and color of their clothing. These are intentional differences that took much more weaving time.
A special delight is that very TALL last figure with a horse close to his head! Is that perhaps why that end of the weaving in slightly TALLER than the other end--the weaver needed to weave that end slightly higher to accommodate the tall male Yei impersonator and his horse? 

Notice also that all the Yei impersonators are depicted with well-developed calf muscles—even the women! Spending the time and effort to develop their calf muscles shows their respect for and devotion to their important role in the Nightway Healing Ceremony!

Please note that in these comments I do NOT refer to the Yeibichai ceremony as a “dance”, and do not refer to the Yei impersonators as “dancers.” This is because the 9 day Nightway Healing Ceremony, and its “Yeibichai” portion, are very serious Diné traditional ceremonies respectfully calling upon their revered Yei Spirits to bring blessings to heal a person for whom the ceremony is conducted. Referring to the Yeibichai Ceremony as a “dance” leads to misrepresenting or misunderstanding it as a ‘performance’ or entertainment.

Date: c.1930. Date verified: see Figure 6.5.14, p.266 of “Navajo Weaving with Ceremonial Themes”, 2017, by Rebecca & Jean-Paul Valette.

DIMENSIONS:  slightly out of proportion—43” high on one side & 44” high on the other side.  Width as viewed:  65.5"
CONDITION:  tightly spun & woven; professionally cleaned.  No fade; no dye bleed; no moth damage; no toxic moth treatments; no odors of tobacco, chemicals, fragrance; no mold.  We are: non-smokers; we do NOT use chemical moth repellants. Our house is MOLD-free, fragrance-free, chemical-free, Covid-free.
We treasure and collect antique Navajo weavings for their awesome beauty, for their unique artistic vision & creativity, and because we know they require hundreds & even thousands of hours of dedicated hand labor using knowledge and skills inherited from Diné ancestors.

MATERIALS:  tightly woven, Navajo hand-spun sheep wool in 9 colors.  Wefts: 26-28/inch. (1) natural color black, white, grey; (2) synthetic-dyed burnt orange, dark orange, red, dark green, light green, black.   Warps: 7/inch- natural white.   Selvedges: end selvedges--black; top & bottom selvedges--synthetic dyed red.

WRITTEN AUTHENTICITY GUARANTEE:  Navajo pictorial weaving, c. 1930, depicting 6 horses watching the Yeibichai ceremony of the Diné Nightway Healing Ceremony. Approximating 43 x 65” size.  Wefts: 26-28/inch of Navajo hand-spun wool in colors of natural black, white, grey, and synthetic-dyed colors of burnt orange, dark orange, red, dark green, light green & black.  Warps: 7/inch; Navajo hand-spun natural white wool.

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