Roy Rogers Navajo Pictorial

Navajo pictorial with dancer, rattles, arrows, and valero stars; A & B side. With certificate. From the Roy Rogers Estate Collection. This is one of the earliest depictions of a Yei Bi Chei dancer that we've come across that dates to the late 1890s or early 1900s and is done by or in the style of a weaver named Yanapah Simpson. Yanapah was married to a trader and lived in Farmington, New Mexico. The traders in Lukachukai, Arizona and Shiprock, New Mexico encouraged the weavings of figural rugs during this period. The dancer is surrounded by valero stars influenced from Rio Grande weavings. The weaving scale in this piece is exceptional with detailing in the dancer and arrows. The Yei Bi Chei are also called Grandfather Spirits and are the focus of healing ceremonies. During these ceremonies the dancers take on the role of intermediaries between the Gods and the Native People. 4’3” x 6’6”