Navajo Pictorial
“Tree of Life” by Sarah Tso

By Rebekah Powers | October 2024

The centerpiece in the main gallery of Chimayo Trading is a stunning pictorial weaving that won “Best Of Show” at the Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial in 2004. This gathering has happened every year for over a century, when each tribes chooses their best and brightest artists to send to Gallup to compete. Sarah Tso, a noted Navajo weaver, entered the “Tree of Life” or “Cosmic Tree” design, a tribute to the levels of existence from the underworld to the terrestrial to the celestial, or from the unconscious to enlightenment.

Known for her accurate depictions of nature and complex compositions, the symbolism also represents the “divine feminine”, the source of life and the harmony within harmony in nature. Sarah Tso is one of the very few weavers who combined threads of different colors to create the exact effect that she wanted. Tso won first prize with highly realistic renderings of dozens of birds and animals, painting a detailed picture of the world around her that is hard to imagine executing line by line. She must have kept her secrets to herself, because we have never seen anything like it.

See for yourself and marvel at Sarah Tso’s contemporary interpretation of the “Tree of Life” a symbol that crosses cultural boundaries, dating back to Mesopotamia. On view now, at Chimayo Trading Del Norte.

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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

We buy individual pieces or whole collections.

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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