Navajo. <em>Sacred Basket with Prayer Sticks (Kitan) Used in Night Chant or Mountain Chant</em>, late 19th century. Wood, fiber, pigment, Total Length: 33 3/4 in. (85.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Museum Expedition 1905, Museum Collection Fund, 05.588.7117a-b. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 05.588.7117a-b.jpg)

Navajo. Sacred Basket with Prayer Sticks (Kitan) Used in Night Chant or Mountain Chant, late 19th century. Wood, fiber, pigment, Total Length: 33 3/4 in. (85.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Museum Expedition 1905, Museum Collection Fund, 05.588.7117a-b. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 05.588.7117a-b.jpg)

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Sacred Basket with Prayer Sticks (Kitan) Used in Night Chant or Mountain Chant

Arts of the Americas

CULTURE Navajo

MEDIUM Wood, fiber, pigment

Place Made: Saint Michaels, Arizona, United States

DATES late 19th century

DIMENSIONS Total Length: 33 3/4 in. (85.7 cm) Other (Tallest Prayer Stick): 8 3/4 in. (22.2 cm) (show scale)

COLLECTIONS Arts of the Americas

ACCESSION NUMBER 05.588.7117a-b

CREDIT LINE Museum Expedition 1905, Museum Collection Fund

CATALOGUE 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.

EXHIBITIONS

Objects of Myth and Memory

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view

CAPTION Navajo. Sacred Basket with Prayer Sticks (Kitan) Used in Night Chant or Mountain Chant, late 19th century. Wood, fiber, pigment, Total Length: 33 3/4 in. (85.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Museum Expedition 1905, Museum Collection Fund, 05.588.7117a-b. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 05.588.7117a-b.jpg)

IMAGE overall, 05.588.7117a-b.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph

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RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY

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