Sacred Basket with Prayer Sticks (Kitan) Used in Night Chant or Mountain Chant Item Number: 05.588.7117a-b from the Brooklyn Museum

Description

The basket for these prayer sticks has never been located. This impressive set has 101 prayer sticks of different sizes, colors, and patterns, strung together. Some singers kept a "sample" roll of prayer sticks to aid in making the ones used in all the various chants. This possibly might be a sample roll and never had a basket. It also might have been made for display purposes as usually the prayer sticks were destroyed during the ceremonies.

Credit Line

Museum Expedition 1905, Museum Collection Fund

Item History

  • Made between 1868 and 1899

What

Name
Sacred Basket with Prayer Sticks (Kitan) Used in Night Chant or Mountain Chant
Identification Number
05.588.7117a-b
Type of Item
basket w, stick and or
Material
wood, fibre and pigment
Measurements
“Total Length: 33 3/4 in. (85.7 cm) Other (Tallest Prayer Stick): 8 3/4 in. (22.2 cm)” ?

Who

Culture
Navajo

Where

Holding Institution
Brooklyn Museum

When

Creation Date
between 1868 and 1899

Other

Classification
Container