Outsider, Folk, Contemporary & Fine Art

CURTIS, Edward Sheriff (American, 1868-1952). Nesjája Hatáli - Navaho. [Boston]: John Andrew & Son, ca. 1909. Original photogravure on Dutch Van Gelder paper. Curtis’ credit, photograph’s date, title, plate number, and printmaker’s credit recto. Plate 31 from Curtis’ Portfolio 1, “The North American Indian, Vol. 1. The Apache. The Jicarillas. The Navaho.” Image 15 x 11 ¼; sheet 22 x 18 ½”; frame 31 x 27. Deckle edges, paper toned. Image is crisp and bright. Not examined out of frame. Curtis describes the subject of this image in Volume 1 as follows: “A well-known Navaho medicine-man. While in the Cañon de Chelly the writer witnessed a very interesting four days’ ceremony given by the Wind Doctor. Nesjaja Hatali was also assistant medicine-man in two nine days’ ceremonies studied - one in Cañon del Muerto and the other in this portfolio (No. 39) is reproduced from one made and used by this priest-doctor in the Mountain Chant.” All proceeds benefit the Howard L. Gottlieb Foundation, which has been supporting nonprofit organizations in the fine arts since 2015.