![]() I’ve included a couple of close-up pictures of the faces of the animals below for those of you who would like to study Jane’s technique. The faces of the animals are beautifully detailed and the border work that sets off the composition is a masterpiece of careful planning and expert weaving. Jane uses fine weight Brown Sheep yarns that she re-spins for greater definition. The night sky is full of glittering stars and the full moon illuminates the players. The night animals, including the skunk, the bear, lynx and the mountain lion are skillfully depicted completing for night/day domination against the butterfly, turkey,bald eagle, hummingbird and other daylight loving animals. Jane’s charming weaving, which shows this first game is a wonderful example of her designing and weaving skill. The game was to continue until one team had gathered 102 counters, but as the sun rose, the animals realized that creatures do not have power over the natural cycles of the sun and moon, no matter which side won the game. The yucca ball was hidden in one of four shoes that were buried in sand and each team tried to guess which shoe held the ball with a correct guess earning some of the yucca counters. A ball was made from the roots of the yucca plant and counters were made from the leaves. ![]() ![]() They decided to hold a contest to see which group would prevail and this was the first Shoe Game. At that time, the night animals and the day animals did not understand the importance of the cycles of the universe and each group wanted to have either day or night all the time. This first game was played long, long ago. Jane Hyden’s latest Pictorial rug celebrates the very first Navajo Shoe Game or Késhjéé. Jane Hyden with her Shoe Game Pictorial A Story of Night and Day: the Navajo Shoe Game Pictorial Rug
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