Original Painting of “Whirling Log” Sandpainting with Masks [SOLD]

The Navajo have a series of sings or chants designed to restore harmony to someone in need.  When someone is sick it is because they are not in harmony with nature and these long sessions, maybe 9 days or more, are invoked to bring the person back to harmony.  The Nightway Chant, sometime called the Whirling Log episode, is one of the 9-day ceremonies.

The legend of the Whirling Logs is too extensive to present here, but the characters participating in the ceremony can be.  The gods, clockwise from the top (under the rainbow) are Talking God, the teacher, and at the bottom, Calling God, associated with fertility.  On the two sides are the humpbacked guardians who carry seeds in their humpbacks.

The bold black cross represents where the two rivers meet and on each branch is a pair of Yei figures, one female and one male.  The male has a round head mask and the female a square one.  The Rainbow Guardian is arched over the whole sandpainting.

The artist has included a series of Navajo masks surrounding the sandpainting.  I have never before seen a presentation of the Whirling Log sandpainting with Navajo Yei masks.  This is probably the unique creation of Beatien Yazz and certainly makes for a monumental presentation.

Condition:  The painting was executed on Charko-board, an artist board.  It is in excellent condition.  The white background prevented any discoloration of the board.  The date 3-68 is penciled on verso and the painting is signed in lower right.

Provenance: from the collection of Katherine H. Rust

Recommended Reading: Yazz, Navajo Painter by J. J. Brody