Original Ha So De Painting “Lambs at Play” 1948

This early casein painting, Lambs at Play, was created in 1948 by renowned Navajo artist Narciso Platero Abeyta — also known by his Diné name, Ha So De, meaning "Fiercely Ascending." Painted shortly after his return from World War II, where he served heroically as a Navajo Code Talker in the U.S. Marines, this piece reflects Abeyta's turn to art as a means of healing and personal reclamation. It was completed during his time at the Albuquerque Indian School and represents a foundational moment in his artistic journey — prior to his later interaction with modernist Raymond Jonson at the University of New Mexico.

The work exhibits the early hallmarks of Abeyta's unique style: flowing line work, confident brushstrokes, and dynamic movement — elements that would come to define his mature compositions. Lambs at Play is both a tender pastoral scene and a compelling artifact of resilience and renewal, created during a formative period in the life of one of the 20th century's most influential Native American artists.

Narciso Abeyta (1918-1998) was not only an acclaimed painter but also a silversmith, Golden Gloves boxer, and war hero. His contributions to art and history are honored in major museum collections and celebrated by collectors around the world.

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: This Original Ha So De Painting "Lambs at Play" 1948 is from a private collection.

Recommended Reading:

- Southwestern Indian Painting, a Changing Art, by Clara Lee Tanner. University of Arizona Press, 1957.

- There is an excellent article entitled "HA-SO-DE One of the First Individualists" by Guy and Doris Monthan in American Indian Art Magazine, Summer 1976.

TAGS: Dorothy Dunn, Andy Tsihnahjinnie, Raymond Jonson, Tony Abeyta, Elizabeth Abeyta Rohrscheib, Native American paintings, Diné of the Navajo Nation, Narciso Platero Abeyta (1918-1998) Ha So De - Fiercely Ascending