An Unusual Navajo Yei Rug, Wonderful, Eerie Figures
Navajo
Circa 1930 | Wool | Item 2118
From the private collection of Tyron D. Campbell, this Navajo rug has 7 human figures on it. There are 5 men (feathers on top) and 2 women. They are done in an eerie manor, with oddly shaped arms and legs and highly elongated feathers. They remind me of ghost walkers. I believe that the Navajos call them Skin Walkers. The highly elongated feathers on top of the heads tells me that the weaver’s intent was to show them as “freaky”. The legs are very animal like, like a horse or deer. The highly narrow waists suggests to me an intentional look of half human, half animal.
They all have red shoes or feet. Red is used sparsely as objects in the hands, as a belt, as a small bag and as an element hanging off of the arms. They are all against a white background that is framed top and bottom with rows of equal feathers. The sides are bordered with two barber pole designs. These are all set into a carded grey wool weft. The weaving is tight and on the heavier side. While this would be great for a wall, it’s strong enough to be on the floor. I like that Tyron kept this piece. I imagine it spoke to him just as it does to me. Wildness!