Isabel John:
The Matriarch of Many Farms
Pictorial Weavings

Chimayo Trading Staff Report | March 2026

Isabel John was a renowned Navajo-Diné rug weaver, particularly celebrated for her pictorial weavings that depicted scenes from Navajo life, culture, and traditions.

Chimayo Trading has recently received three excellent examples of Isabel John’s work. Stop by the gallery in Ranchos de Taos or online at chimayotrading.com to add one or more to your collection, or start a new collection of prized Navajo Weavings.

“Four Sacred Mountains”, ca.1980s
53″ x 61″
$10,500

”Four Sacred Mountains” is a classic example of her narrative pictorial style, which she began creating in 1973. It is a substantial size for her works and is highly regarded among collectors. The four sacred mountains are represented, marking the traditional boundaries of Dinétah (Navajo homeland).

These mountains are:
Sisnaajiní (Blanca Peak CO., east, white).
Tsoodził (Mount Taylor NM., south, blue).
Dookʼoʼoosłííd (San Francisco Peaks AZ., west, yellow).
Dibé Nitsaa (Hesperus Peak CO, north, black or multi-colored).
Isabel was born in 1933 and began weaving as a child in the 1940s, learning the craft early on likely from family, as is common in Navajo weaving traditions. For nearly 20 years, she specialized in the classic Two Grey Hills style, known for its intricate patterns, natural wool colors, and high-quality hand-spun yarn.

In 1973, she transitioned to creating pictorial rugs, which incorporate narrative elements like figures, animals, landscapes, ceremonies, and everyday life scenes such as depictions of traditional ceremonies. Her pictorial works often blended traditional techniques with storytelling, making them evocative and culturally significant.

“Squaw Dance”
33.5″ x 55″
$9800

”Squaw Dance” is one of her signature narrative works from the 1980s (signed IJ), and is a prime example of her ability to capture communal Navajo-Diné life and traditions with vivid detail and cultural depth. The scene depicts a Squaw Dance (more respectfully known today in Navajo contexts as part of the Enemyway or Ndaa ceremony). This is a traditional Navajo social and healing event, often held during the Enemyway chantway to help returning warriors (or those affected by non-Navajo influences like war or outsiders) readjust to community life. The overall composition is bustling and lively, emphasizing community, healing, and social reconnection, hallmarks of Isabel John’s storytelling style.

Isabel John earned recognition as a Blue Ribbon winner at competitions, indicating her skill and acclaim within the Navajo weaving community and among collectors. Her rugs are highly sought after in the art market.

“Round Dance”
36″ x 48″
$9800

”Round Dance” is a notable example from her body of work. It dates to her mature pictorial period (post-1973, likely 1980s), when she was celebrated as the matriarch of the Many Farms pictorial style, named after her home near Canyon de Chelly, emphasizing detailed, narrative depictions of Navajo-Diné communal life using hand-spun wool in natural, vegetal, and aniline dyes. The composition vividly portrays a Round Dance, also known as a social or friendship dance in some Indigenous contexts, though in Navajo traditions it can tie into intertribal or social gatherings, often featuring hand-holding circles for unity, celebration, or healing.

Isabel passed away in 2004 before her time, as her work was gaining wordlwide notoriety among collectors that were quickly buying up her work making it difficult for her to keep up with demand. Isabel left a lasting legacy in preserving and innovating Navajo pictorial weaving traditions. Her work continues to be celebrated for honoring handmade artistry, cultural continuity, and the dignity of Navajo women’s creative expression.

Her work is now quite at home here at Chimayo Trading while waiting to be happy in their new home, and her legacy lasting and her work deeply admired.

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Come to the gallery to see where History Meets Art in Taos..

#1 Saint Francis Church Plaza
Ranchos de Taos, NM 87557

575.758.0504

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Contact us for the evaluation and resale of your collectible art.
We’re interested in locating relevant collections and original New Mexico artwork for purchase. We buy historic and contemporary relevant paintings, pottery, jewelry, textiles, weavings and more.

Contact us directly to discuss and evaluate your collection. If you’re an artist, contact us about the possibility of selling your art on consignment or direct wholesale purchase.

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