Rug, Yei
Object NameRug, Yei
MediumWool
Dimensions30 × 13 1/4 in. (76.2 × 33.7 cm)
ClassificationsTextiles and Apparel
Credit LineTranferred from Applied Arts Department. In the Farm House Museum Collection, Farm House Museum, University Museums, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.
Object number74.32.220
Status
On viewCultureNative American - Diné (Navajo)
Label TextYeis (pronounced “yay”) are sacred beings in the Navajo pantheon and often appear in ceremonial sand paintings. Navajo ceremonies use sand paintings as temporary altars, and practitioners intentionally destroy them the same day they are created. Because of this ritual purpose, reproducing sand paintings in permanent forms—such as woven tapestries—originally contradicted ceremonial intent. Navajo medicine men traditionally created sand paintings during healing ceremonies designed to restore balance between a family and the world around them. Once the ceremony restored harmony, participants ritually destroyed the sand painting to keep its designs confidential. Traditional belief holds that revealing these sacred designs could bring harm to those who did so.
As tourism and trade expanded in the American Southwest during the 1880s, demand for Navajo textiles grew. In the 1920s, the medicine man Hosteen Klah began recording ceremonial imagery by adapting sand painting designs into woven rugs. His efforts led to the emergence of Navajo Yei pictorial rugs, which depict Holy People (Yeis) and ceremonial dancers known as Yeibichai. Traders encouraged this innovation, and weavers embraced the new market. Over time, the designs evolved from single figures into complex compositions featuring rows of dancers and protective figures such as the Rainbow Yei. This style developed into a distinct pictorial tradition alongside other themes, including animals and landscapes. While early 20th-century pieces (1900-1930) are prized for their unique artistry, later 20th-century designs became more standardized.
https://www.marcyburns.com/archived-objects-collection/navajo-dine-yei-rug
Ben Wheat, Joe. Patterns and Sources of Navajo Weaving. Edited by W. D. Harmsen, Harmsen’s Western Americana Collection, 1977.
Locations
- (not entered) Iowa State University, Farm House Museum
