Navajo Indian Art
Besides their turquoise
and silver work, the
Navajo are known for
their sandpainting, basketry, blanket weaving, and pottery.
Among the world's most beautiful and intricate mandalas, are the sandpaintings of the
Navajo sandpaintings are made in the mornings and early after noons of the last days of a
ceremony by the medicine man and his helpers. After a ceremony the sand paintings are
The soft and subtle color of the sands and ground minerals, the infinite variety in the
repetition of the lines, the abstract conception of the figures of the gods and forms
transport the observer into a strange new world of beauty.
When is comes to making baskets, their utility is as important as their religious value, so
they are kept for continual use. This does not negate the importance of the basket and
the basket making process.
When the Navajo basket maker weaves the reed into a beautiful design, she strives for
balance and harmony, beauty and order.
Navajo pottery making has evolved into a beautiful and expressive art form. Pottery was
important for functional purposes such as water storage, cooking, eating and for
It also achieved the highest value for its decorative purposes, and exquisite
craftsmanship and geometric design.
It is truly astonishing to think about volume and variety of artwork produced by the
Navajo Indian Peoples over the past 1000 years. Their creativity, sense of design and
work ethic has given them a lasting legacy.