  We present near-infrared synthetic spectra of a delayed-detonation
hydrodynamical model and compare them to observed spectra of four normal type
Ia supernovae ranging from day +56.5 to day +85. This is the epoch during which
supernovae are believed to be undergoing the transition from the photospheric
phase, where spectra are characterized by line scattering above an optically
thick photosphere, to the nebular phase, where spectra consist of optically
thin emission from forbidden lines. We find that most spectral features in the
near-infrared can be accounted for by permitted lines of Fe II and Co II. In
addition, we find that [Ni II] fits the emission feature near 1.98 {\mu}m,
suggesting that a substantial mass of 58Ni exists near the center of the ejecta
in these objects, arising from nuclear burning at high density. A tentative
identification of Mn II at 1.15 {\mu}m may support this conclusion as well.
