Authentic Vintage Ceremonial Inspired Yeibichei Navajo Pictoral Yei Rug 1950s

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Vintage Diné (Navajo) Yeibichei Rug – Circa Late 1940s–Mid 1950s
This authentic handwoven Diné (Diné) Yeibichei rug, dating to the … Read more Vintage Diné (Navajo) Yeibichei Rug – Circa Late 1940s–Mid 1950s
This authentic handwoven Diné (Diné) Yeibichei rug, dating to the late 1940s–mid 1950s, is a finely executed ceremonial-inspired textile depicting sacred Holy People (Yeis) and the living corn-people, symbols of life itself in Navajo cosmology. Measuring 43" × 30", the rug features an undyed natural wool background, tightly woven construction, and exceptional clarity with the design equally sharp on both front and back—a hallmark of high-quality mid-20th-century weaving.

The composition shows three Yeis with square ceremonial heads, all dressed in richly toned brown earth-colored garments. The outer Yeis wear geometric patterned clothing, while the central Yei is adorned with a stylized cornstalk and pollen/flower motif, emphasizing its role as the spiritual life-bearer. Between the three figures stand two living cornstalks with human heads, representing the profound Diné belief that corn is a living spiritual relative and the source of human life. Each Yei holds a ceremonial vessel with a trailing pollen or prayer path, symbolizing healing, blessing, and the restoration of balance.

This imagery references the Yeibichei, a major healing and protection rite, and expresses the central Navajo spiritual principle of Hózhó—harmony, balance, and beauty in all aspects of life. While inspired by sacred sandpaintings used in ceremony, this rug was created for permanent use as a woven household blessing and protective symbol, not for ritual use.

The lack of white outlining, natural wool background, absence of a border, and refined, tightly packed weave are all strong indicators of an earlier, more traditional mid-century origin, consistent with weavers influenced by the Chinle region of northeastern Arizona. See less