Diné Girl Feeding Sheep [SOLD]

Both Diné men and women wear their hair in a bun called a “tsiiyéé”. Everything about the “tsiiyéé” has meaning—the way it is formed, the way it looks, the way it sits on a person’s head. Every part of the wrap has significance. Each strand, the types of yarn that are used, and the manner in which they are wrapped have meaning. To the Diné, it is more than a tradition—it’s a spiritual practice and a form of prayer, it is a way to recognize the importance of their culture and honor their ancestors.

This small painting by Diné traditionalist Harrison Begay (1917-2012) provides the viewer a look at a “tsiiyéé”.  His young female subject rests on her knees, feeding grass to a small lamb. In the background, a single bird crosses the sky, which is decorated by two clouds. A rainbow links the two clouds together.  The painting is signed “Haskay Yahne Yah” in lower left, and “Harrison Begay” in lower right.

Harrison Begay (1917-2012) was a world-renowned Diné (Navajo) painter who is generally regarded as one of the most successful and influential early Native American painters.  Begay studied under Dorothy Dunn at the Santa Fe Indian School in the 1930s, and then attended colleges in North Carolina and Arizona. From 1942 to 1945, he served in the US Army Signal Corps.  In 1947, Begay returned to the Navajo reservation, where he enjoyed a long and productive career as a painter. He is known to have continued painting into his 90s. Begay passed away in 2012.

Condition: this painting of a Diné Girl Feeding Sheep is in excellent condition

Provenance: from the large collection of a New Mexico resident who purchased it in the 1970s while living in Gallup, NM

Relative Links: Diné - Navajo, Harrison Begay, Dorothy Dunn, Native American Paintings