RARE Wood Carving of Female by Navajo Artist Charlie Willeto [SOLD]

It has been estimated that Willeto only made about 400 carvings in the four years he carved. He started carving late in life, in 1961, and passed away in 1964. As a Navajo medicine man, Willeto spent most of his young and middle age life learning the several hundred chants required for a medicine man to know as well as the sandpaintings required with the chants. These all had to be committed to memory.

Navajo medicine men have traditionally been among the wealthiest of the tribe. Patients paid them in jewelry, sheep, or other items of trade. With the advent of the government reservation system and government-provided medicine attention, the value of medicine men has declined, thus their wealth has too. It was perhaps for this reason that Willeto began carving figures that he could trade for provisions for his family.

This carving appears to be of a female, one of the few female carvings by Willeto. Generally, he made male carvings or what appear to be male. The colors used in this carving are still beautifully brilliant and visual.

Condition: The figurine appears to be in original excellent condition.

Provenance: ex. coll. Family of Fawcett Publishing Company