Sheila Antonio, a Navajo bead artist, made this with a technique she invented of using metal parts recycled from machines to form the skeletons for the figures she created. This figure is a depiction of Navajo culture, and the details of her work are amazing. Chopping firewood for wood burning stoves is a traditional task for Navajo men. This pair of Navajo men are dressed for outdoor work. One wears a traditional Navajo black hat. Beneath their hats, they wear their hair in a traditional Navajo style.The other wears a baseball cap. One is chopping wood: the other picks it up to take to his wife to use in her wood burning stove. The two figures are set on separate round bases, but together they make a distinctive Navajo scene. They are two and a half inches tall (6 cm.).
Sheila Antonio is unique, the only one to do this type of work. She has not been seen in quite a while, so there is some uncertainty about whether she is still alive. A collector is selling her collection of beaded scenes, which were made in the 1990’s, so this is a rare and unique opportunity to purchase them.
This figurine will be sold individually, but there may also be a price for the entire collection. Please contact the shop if you are interested in the whole collection.