Vintage 10 Piece Hand Carved Navajo Nacimiento Set by Tom W. Yazzie - Christmas

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Vintage 10 Piece Hand Carved Navajo Nacimiento Set by Tom W. Yazzie - Christmas:
$3995.00

A unique nacimiento (nativity) set by legendary Dine/Navajo artist Tom W. Yazzie, circa 1980. Consists of ten hand-painted pieces carved from cottonwood, incorporating a few ceramic elements as well (i.e., the three wise men's pots).Four of the wooden bases for the figurines bear Yazzie's name handwritten on the underside.
This nacimiento set was commissioned and executed in 1979-1980. I have handwritten correspondence and receiptsfrom Adobe Gallery in Albuquerque, NM,that document the creation of and payment for pieces as the artist completed them. All relevant original paperwork and photographs will be included with the sale.
This is a substantially sized nacimiento set: the tallest figure is approximately 11 inches tall. Overall, it is in excellent original condition, with a few condition issues to note: there are a few very minor scuffs to pieces here and there, with a more noticeable chip to the offerings in the hand of one of the wise men. The only significant damage to the set is to one of the shepherds' staffs (i.e. cottonwood twigs), which has broken into three pieces--two longer pieces and a small piece still attached at the shepherd's hand. All items have been fully photographed, so please review the images carefully and reach out if you have any questions.
Hand-carved nacimiento sets like this one rarely come up for sale on the secondary market. This is your chance to own a one-of-a-kind masterpiece ofsouthwestern Native American artby one of the great Dine artists of the twentieth century.A Christmas gift like no W. Yazzie's biographical information (from the Smithsonian's website):
Tom Yazzie served in the U.S. Army between 1947 and 1954. During his off hours, he revived a childhood hobby by using his army-issue bayonet to carve wood. When he returned from Europe his friends encouraged him to begin carving seriously. The inspiration for Yazzie's works depicting Navajo life and ceremonies comes from his brother, a medicine man. He usually carves groups of people and dancers and adds found objects such as feathers and small stones to make them realistic. (Chuck and Jan Rosenak,The People Speak: Navajo Folk Art, 1994)