Inv# A1904

Guarantee: “Corn Harvest” Yei Mask Sculpture hand-crafted by Diné artisan, David K. John.                            

Detailed Description:  clay mask hand-shaped & kiln-fired, including a protruding, round, hand-formed clay mouthpiece and a clay decorative forehead piece for feather attachment.  After kiln firing, water-based acrylic paints were applied; legal feathers were attached at the forehead area extending to the left side; and a reed bundle was attached to the mask right side using small leather ties.  A braided steel hanging wire is attached across the back using 2 small holes pre-formed prior to kiln firing.

Materials: Clay; water-based acrylic paints; legal bird feathers; reed sticks; leather ties; backside hanging wire of braided steel

Detailed Dimensions: 

• Top to bottom length:  7” for clay mask; reed sticks extend another 2” higher on right side.

• Side to side width:  5” for clay mask; head feathers extend horizontally another 1.25” to left side.

• Vertical center of mask 1.25” higher than sides.  Mouth breathing tube extends 0.75” above the mask center, so at the mouthpiece center the mask is approx. 2” high.

• Mask clay thickness varies:  0.17>0.3” thick.

Weight:  10.6 oz.

Comments:  David named this Yei mask sculpture “Corn Harvest”.

Here are David’s comments on artistic design and materials used in his Yei sculpture.  Starting at the top of the mask:

• Water-based acrylic paints; no solvents or sealants

• Feathers: legal bird feathers—no federally prohibited migratory bird feathers.

• Middle of the mask design: corn plant symbol

• Left upper side: 5 raindrops

• Left lower side zigzag lines: lighting symbols

• Right upper side circular spiral: male symbol

• Right lower side square spiral:  female symbol

• Right side: stick bundle represents reeds that in the Diné Creation Narrative enabled the Diné people to escape a devastating flood in the 3rd world under this, the Diné 4th world.  According to that narrative, when the flood came to the 3rd world, the Diné People climbed onto reeds that quickly grew to the sky, enabling the Diné to be saved and emerge into this the 4th world.

Additional comment by me.

• In Diné traditional religious beliefs, Yeis are holy spirits that play an important role in protecting the Diné People. Under Diné traditional religious beliefs accurate representation of Yeis would violate religious beliefs and be offensive to Yei holy spirits.  So David’s Yei clay masks & Yei figures are NOT Diné religious objects. They are David’s artistic interpretation of the Yei holy spirits, while being careful to avoid accurate representations.  Some of the mask art symbols are traditional Diné symbols.  

• Colors.  Notice that the Yei mask sculpture contains colors of white, blue, yellow and black.  These 4 colors have special cultural and spiritual significance for the Diné People. They represent the spiritually significant four cardinal directions and link to their ancestral homeland containing 4 ‘sacred’ mountains discussed in the Diné Creation Narrative.  Black represents North and their sacred northern mountain, Dibe’ Ntsaa [Hesperus Peak].  White represents East and their sacred eastern mountain, Sisnaajini [Blanca Peak].  Blue represents South and their sacred southern mountain Tsoodzil [Mount Taylor].  Yellow represents West and their sacred mountain Dook’o’oosliid [San Francisco Peaks].  For more info:  https://navajopeople.org/blog/the-navajo-four-sacred-colors/

• The yellow round protuberance on the Yei mask sculpture adds even more delightful presence to the sculpture.  It is not a nose, but rather is representative of the mouth breathing tube on the masks worn by Yei impersonators during the YeiBiChai ‘dance’ of the Nightway Healing Ceremony.  On those real masks, breathing tubes are often made of the neck of a dried gourd. 

• The sculpture’s white area surrounding the base of the yellow breathing tube is another great detail.  It is representative of downy owl feathers typically used on real YeibiChai masks at the base of their dried gourd breathing tube.

It is our sincere hope that you enjoy these additional details and comments.  Thank you!