An Ancient Art

An Ancient Art continued

Byard a detachment of troops may be seen dimly in the shadows of the gray stone walls. The detail has been wrought with rare skill by the artist. A boy stands in the foreground behind the General, lantern in hand. The weaving is executed in masterly fashion-the "action" of the historical figures being clearly delineated. Washington landing at the foot of Wall Street for his first inauguration-April 1789, is a tapestry after the central panel of the famous mural paintings by Peixotto, in the Seamen's Bank, New York City. The color motif is a facsimile of the old English print, which was the coloring of that period-soft pastel shades, a delicate blending of tints of blue, rose, mauve and shadow of sky and water. General Washington is seen coming ashore from a small boat. He is a gallant figure in his blue colonial coat, cream colored trousers and high boots. With his hat in hand a tri-cornered black felt or velvet-he salutes the dignitaries awaiting him. As in Peixotto's painting, Washington's great height and impressive presence are impressionistically executed, which adds much to the artistic value of the picture. The artist's weaving of the colors is an almost perfect adaptation of the painter's conception of this historic occasion. Her treatment of the water and the suggestion of life and motion throughout this tapestry is especially felicitous.

France Salutes America-1778, another of her series of tapestries depicting historic episodes, commemorates the first Naval salute to the United States by a foreign power. This is after the picture by the famous painter Edward Moran, the American ship commanded by John Paul Jones in a French harbor, firing a salvo of 13 guns, and the return salute by the foreign vessel, is immortalized in this marine painting. Miss Murdock has preserved the tonal values of sky and water, the lights and shadows of clouds and dashing spray, the translucent green and gray of the waves and drifting smoke. The ships themselves, are typical of Moran's best work, but this made the tapestry weave all the more difficult of execution. The fidelity with which she has adapted the subject to this medium is a high tribute to her art.

Lindbergh with his "Spirit of St. Louis" at the moment of his landing in France after his lone trans-Atlantic flight, is another of her commemorative historical tapestries.

"Hopi Elevator" was her first tapestry, and a special favorite of the artist. An Indian child is shown on a lower rung of a ladder which leans against the wall of an adobe house. From his posture it is evident that he is debating the climb up to his home. The subject is replete with historic and romantic interest. The atmospheric blending of colors, matchlessly beautiful, and typical of Arizona and New Mexico, is brought out strongly in this picture. It makes a wide appeal both in beauty and human values.

With her tapestry of the "North Wind," Miss Murdock takes us into the realm of fantasy. It is from Kay Nielsen's painting, "The North Wind Goes Over the Sea," which received much favorable comment from art critics when exhibited on the west coast. The subject is based on a Danish legend.

The words of one critic may truthfully be paraphrased to describe the tapestry: "... the exquisite bizarrerie of this work expresses to the utmost, the significance of this old-world legend.... the intermingling of reality and supernaturalism, which characterizes all Norse and Danish legends.... based on imperishable traditions." This tapestry is probably the most popular known of the artist's larger panels, especially in Arizona. It is now owned by Dr. Trevor Brown of Phoenix.

In the execution of the "North Wind" tapestry, nothing is lost. The flesh tints of the powerful body of the allegorical figure soaring above the waves, gain in depth by virtue of the woven colors. The outstretched arm, tensely muscular, the fierce countenance, the great white wings in which the Princess unseen, is cradled, are thrown into high relief against the darkly luminous background. The water is done realistically in broad strokes. This tapestry is impressive for its sheer vitality.

Another favorite tapestry is "The Old Man," as the artist calls her woven picture of a Mayan Priest, which is after a basrelief on the north facade of the Temple of the Cross at Palenque, Mexico. This tapestry was begun in 1937 and finished a year later. The bas-relief of the priest being on the north side of the building had become weather worn and stripped of all its original colors. The colors and color blending supplied by Miss Murdock are a masterpiece of craftsmanship. It is a fine example of what can be done with vegetable dyed yarns. The rich tones of brilliant green, the background blended in shades and tints of the same color, the vivid blue of the stole over the shoulders of the priest, composed of solid bluish green turquoises. The leopard skin coat, spotted yellow and black, the flesh tones of the legs bound with jeweled anklets; the ear of corn suspended in the background, historically significant; the weird head dress, a bird, a frog and a toad in the twisted coils, symbolic of the Mayan gods. This tapestry is of unusual value historically and as a work of art.

Her tapestry, "A View of the Grand Canyon," is owned by Dr. Banzoff of Phoenix. Many different views of the Canyon have been drawn and painted by artists who have come here from every part of the world. The enchantment of color in this wonderland renders no two pictures alike. The composition of the painting after which this tapestry was done, lends itself admirably to weaving. The lights and shadows of the rock formation, the stark beauty of color and suggestion of illimitable distances, are preserved in the tapestry.

Her tapestry of the First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston is from the etching by E. M. Kenna. It is a picture of distinguished quality. Miss Murdock has woven it in colors of early autumn-the foliage of the garden and the grass tinged with frost. The stained glass windows and the cloud effects above the tower of the church are noteworthy details.

There are several other smaller designs a pink Magnolia, exquisite in detail; a Century Plant; Indian Pottery, and a rare Egyptian tile design taken from a museum piece 5000 years old.

Some of Melanie Fay Murdock's tapestries will live. For centuries Europe has immortalized its national life in this art form; the tapestries of Spain after Goya's paintings, Burne-Jones' cartoons and the tapestries made therefrom by the William Morris looms in England, the Gobelins of France, the Belgian-Flanders looms producing the work of famous artists. Almost every country is represented.

Comparatively little has been done in America; the Baumgarten looms, the Herter studios; a few outstanding weavers in New Mexico and on the west coast. The Edgewater Studios formerly at Edgewater, New Jersey, now in Southern California. These are doing excellent work. Many smaller concerns are producing commercial machine-made tapestries which add nothing to the ancient art of hand weaving.

Miss Murdock believes that the revival and modern adaptation of the old Norwegian weaving by Frieda Hansen, is gradually making itself felt in America.

"While we cannot hope to develop an original American technique," she said, "we can have an American tapestry, just the same. Already the Indian has begun to employ the lock stitch, which can be used in more interesting and complicated weaving. They have design in their dances and ceremonials which gives them a natural basis for tapestry design."

It remains for artists like Melanie Fay Murdock to preserve for posterity, the characters and events that have made America great.

A New Navajo Art

A new form of Navajo art is possibly beginning at Canyon de Chelly National Monument, in northeastern Arizona. If the opposition of the elders is not too strong, woodcarving may take its place with the wellestablished crafts of weaving and silversmithing. The new work is being pioneered by Klitso Dedman under the tutelage of Cozy McSparron, Chinle Indian trader.

Klitso's efforts, to date, have been concerned with accurate, authentic and altogether lifelike representations of the dancers in the Tseh'na-jih Hatal, or, In the Rocks Chant, which is part of the Night Chant usually called the Yeibitchai Dance. Hosteen Dedman's figures show a fluidity of line which is strik-ingly different from the conventionalized katchinas of the Hopi and most other Indian carvings. Furthermore, each figure is carved from a single piece of wood.

It is fitting that carved figures of these dancers should first be made in this area for the Big Yeibitchai, or grandfather of all the gods, who originated the chant in one version of the myth, is supposed to have lived in White House Ruin in Canyon de Chelly.

Several sets of four figures each have already been made. These consist of Has'tseyal'ti, the Talking god; one Has'tsebaka, Male Dancing god; one Has'tsebood, Female Dancing god, and Toneni'li, the clown.

To describe each of the above characters as seen at a ceremony is to describe them as carved and painted by Klitso Dedman. Hastseyal'ti, the Talking god wears a magnificent mask topped with twelve eagle plumes. Around his neck is ruff of juniper boughs and he wears an entire buckskin, slung over his left shoulder, as a tunic. Breeches of white sheeting, adopted by the Navajo from the eighteenth century Spanish costume, are split to the knee and disclose a bright red garter. Moccasins and a bright red blouse complete the god's attire. He carries a fox skin in his right hand.

The six male dancers are costumed less ornately than theTalking god. A round buckskin mask topped with two eagle feathers is strapped over the face of each of the male dancers. A reed plug, or whistle, is inserted through the mask and held in the dancer's mouth. In singing through the reed the voice has a wierd "far-off" sound. A ruff of juniper or spruce is worn around the neck, plus whatever strings of shell, turquoise or silver beads the dancer owns. These men are stripped to the waist and their bodies plastered with a warming coat of white clay. A short kilt of velveteen or a saddle blanket of Germantown yarn is held in place by a huge concha belt. Knee garters hold up Germantown yarn stockings which are woven by the men; these are woven on a cotton warp. Hung from his belt, at the dancer's back, is a fox skin, head thrust through the belt, the brush nearly dragging the ground. In his right hand each man holds a gourd rattle with which he beats out the rhythm of the chants, and in his left hand a branch of juniper.

As partners of the Male Dancing gods there are the Has'tsebaad', the Female Dancing gods. These were formerly portrayed by women but in recent years the parts are danced by men with long hair. The faces of these men are concealed behind square masks of buckskin. They wear neither the eagle feathers over the mask nor the collar of juniper. Their bodies, like those of the Male Dancing gods, are whitened and they wear similar kilts, stockings, garters and moccasins. The fox skin is also worn but the Female god's fox skin is never as luxurious as that of the males.

The Toneni'li, or Clown, is the fourth of the set and is masked like the Males. In addition to the ruff of juniper he wears armlets and wristlets of the same material plus two lei-like wreaths of juniper twigs; these are slung, one over each shoulder, as bandoliers. He carries a mangy old fox skin in his right hand and a juniper bough in his left. Dur-ing the entire ceremony he entertains the spectators with ribald and ludicrous pantomine.

One complete set of dancers has been carved by Klitso for Cozy McSparron. This group is made up of sixteen figures which include six Has'tsebaka and six Has'tsebaad, the Talking god, Toneni'li, the singer and the patient. This is an entire complement of characters for the "In The Rocks Chant".

The Singer, or medicine man, is clothed in traditional Navajo costume . . . velveteen blouse, white sheeting trousers and moccasins. He carries a medicine bag which is usually the sewn skin of a fox. In the bag are small sacks of corn pollen and other objects with "curative" value such as highly polished stones, feathers and prehistoric arrow points. The Singer is the man who directs the making of the sand painting for the patient and who serves as master of ceremonies during the nine days.

The patient has no special costume but is represented in Klitso's carvings as being in common Navajo dress and carrying a ceremonial basket of corn meal. These baskets are purchased by patients just before the ceremonies and are disposed of immediately after the conclusion of the Yeibitchai.

To see the last night of the Tseh'jih Hatal', when the dancers are costumed as described above, is to indulge in a thrill usually reserved for the intrepid explorers of far-off lands, for here is a "pagan" rite with marrow-chilling intonations that jar yet thrill the ear. Staged, usually, far out on the reservation in the crisp nights of fall, after the first frosts, there is an attendance of hundreds of Navajos and a few fortunate whites. The air is pungent with smoke from many camp fires. It is a time, among the Navajo, not unlike our Yuletide: a spirit of good will and forbearance prevails and old grudges forgotten.

The primary purpose of the ceremony is to cure diseases of the head, especially deafness, blindness, and headaches. but in addition it is a prayer for rain, good crops, many sheep, and the health and happiness of the people. The chant lasts through nine days and on the last night till dawn of the tenth morning when the beautiful Bluebird song sends the tired revelers home to their hogans high in spirit and very tired in body.

This article would not be complete without a biographical sketch of the carver, Klitso Dedman. Born 67 years ago in a hogan near which he now lives, he was sent to school at Grand Junction, Colorado, in 1884. That statement seems commonplace to us now but thumb through your history books and consider what this country was like at that time. Then imagine yourselves in the circumstances of the young Navajo, traveling into the lands of the Ute, arch enemy of his people. At school he learned the carpenter's trade, which was to furnish his livelihood for the balance of his life.

Now, as he sits close to the fire in his hogan, with his carving nearby, he can remember how he was selected to guide Theodore Roosevelt and his party through the Navajo Reservation to the Grand Canyon, how he was the first Navajo to drive an automobile to Chinle . . . and try to remember the number of trading posts he has built over the Reservation.

His eyes are dimmed by the smoke of many hogan fires and his ears dulled to the sounds about him as he rounds out his life carving the actors of one of the beautiful ceremonies of his people.

Three pairs of male and female figures, the Talking God, the Patient and the Medicine Man. These are accurate and authentic. (Ernest Knee)