Yei and Yeibichai Figures in Navajo Jewelry
Yei (also spelled Ye'ii) are figures drawn from Navajo tradition that appear in silver jewelry — cast pendants, bolos, cuffs, and necklaces — made by Navajo artists. They are among the most distinctive figural forms in Southwest silversmithing, documented in the trade record since the mid-twentieth century. Hougart's Hallmarks of the Southwest defines the term plainly: "Yei. A Navajo religious or holy person. A motif used in Navajo jewelry."
Some symbols carry sacred meaning within living traditions. We choose to respect that. This page is deliberately limited to what the artists themselves have shared publicly and what the jewelry-trade record documents — nothing more.
Mateo's Field Notes
Navajo Yei figures in silver are documented across pendants, bolos, cuffs, necklaces, and hollowware. Their presence in the trade record goes back at least to the mid-twentieth century, and they remain an active part of contemporary Navajo silversmithing. The Hougart hallmarks index documents at least three individual Navajo smiths making Yei figural work in appliqué and hollowware. The forms range from flat cut-out appliqué figures to fully three-dimensional cast figures — technique varies by artist and era.
The most important thing a collector can know about Yei figures in jewelry is that this work is made by Navajo artists, for the trade, and that those artists themselves are the appropriate voice on what the figures represent. One of those voices is documented below, exactly as recorded.
In the Artist's Own Words
"I put these Yei — a female and a male — indicating that we are offspring of the Holy People. All the artistry and talent comes from them, the Yei. So this is a way of me documenting my gratitude for all that has come to me."
Trade Record
The following Navajo artists are documented in the trade literature as makers of Yei figural jewelry. Links connect to their profiles in the silversmith directory where available.
- Lee A. Yazzie — Pendants and sculptural pieces incorporating Yei figures; documented in Dubin (2014). View profile →
- Helen Long — Appliqué-style Yei figural work; documented in Hougart, Hallmarks of the Southwest.
- Phil Long — Appliqué-style Yei figural work; documented in Hougart, Hallmarks of the Southwest.
- Linda Lou Metoxen — Yei figural design elements in hollowware; documented in Hougart, Hallmarks of the Southwest.
Yeibichai figures — associated with the Yeibichai ceremony — are also documented in the commercial trade record (Rosnek, Skystone and Silver, 1976) as a related figural type. They appear in the same media and formats as Yei pieces.
Collector's Handbook
- Maker matters. Yei figures in jewelry are made by Navajo artists. Attribution to a specific Navajo smith — via hallmark or documented provenance — is the first thing to establish when evaluating a piece.
- Verify the hallmark. Cross-reference against Hougart's Hallmarks of the Southwest (5th ed.) or the Indian Arts and Crafts Board registry for marked work by the artists above.
- Understand what this page does not cover. The ceremonial context of Yei and Yeibichai figures is a living sacred tradition. We do not document it here, and we recommend against purchasing this work without at least knowing the maker's name.
Primary Sources
- Dubin, Lois Sherr. The Glittering World: Navajo Jewelry of the Yazzie Family. Harry N. Abrams, 2014. (Lee A. Yazzie quote, pp. 6043–6049 in digital text)
- Hougart, Mark. Hallmarks of the Southwest. Schiffer Publishing, 5th ed. (Yei definition and artist entries: lines 17587, 19848, 19877, 21153, 32702)
- Rosnek, Carl, and Joseph Stacey. Skystone and Silver: The Collector's Book of Southwest Indian Jewelry. Prentice-Hall, 1976. (Yei and Yeibichai documentation: lines 7884, 31721)