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Source Description
According to D. Y. Begay, the contemporary Diné (Navajo) weaver, every Diné woman should own a <em>bill’éé</em> (dress), which holds spiritual power, confers protection, encodes stories about the aesthetic of Diné culture, and ensures her place in society. This example is made of two matching panels attached on the sides and shoulders, a type that developed from single-panel dresses in the late 1700s. Originally gathered at the waist with a woven belt, the dresses also can be cinched with silver <em>concha </em>belts of Diné creation. Today, the bill’éé continues to respond to fashion trends and is worn on special occasions.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
111436
label
Woman’s Two-Piece Dress (Biil’éé)
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
111436
contentType
object
title
Woman’s Two-Piece Dress (Biil’éé)
description
According to D. Y. Begay, the contemporary Diné (Navajo) weaver, every Diné woman should own a <em>bill’éé</em> (dress), which holds spiritual power, confers protection, encodes stories about the aesthetic of Diné culture, and ensures her place in society. This example is made of two matching panels attached on the sides and shoulders, a type that developed from single-panel dresses in the late 1700s. Originally gathered at the waist with a woven belt, the dresses also can be cinched with silver <em>concha </em>belts of Diné creation. Today, the bill’éé continues to respond to fashion trends and is worn on special occasions.
date
c. 1880–85
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q80003591
genreSpecific
Textile
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 145 x 99 cm (57 1/16 x 39 in.)
cul
Native North America, Southwest, Diné (Navajo)
accession
1929.921
Source extras
tec
Wool: tapestry weave
tombstone
Woman’s Two-Piece Dress (Biil’éé), c. 1880–85. Native North America, Southwest, Diné (Navajo). Wool: tapestry weave; overall: 145 x 99 cm (57 1/16 x 39 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Educational Purchase Fund, 1929.921
collection
T - Native North American
citations
citation
Bergh, Susan E., "Unburied Treasure", Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>Cleveland Art: The Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine</em>. Vol. 45 no. 10, December 2005
page_number
Mentioned & reproduced; p. 5
creditline
Educational Purchase Fund
updatedAt
2026-05-29 05:53:55.931000
sourceId
111436
dept
Textiles
coll
T - Native North American
med
Wool: tapestry weave
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
4467e5337728b9c2