Featured in this lot is an Original Diné (Navajo) Alfred Watchman Sand Painting, "Big Thunder", Signed on reverse, framed. Watchman is a well-known Navajo sand painter from Sheep Springs, Tohatchi, Navajo Nation, New Mexico. Intricately detailed and vibrant, this stunning Navajo artwork is wonderfully and professionally crafted sandpainting, a remarkable piece of art that embodies the rich cultural heritage of the Navajo Nation. Sandpaintings were, and still are, sacred images essential to a broad range of Navajo ceremonies. These rituals, called "Sings" are meant to heal. In the Navajo way, healing does not equate with a "cure", but with the restoration of balance and harmony within the afflicted person. Sandpaintings may blot out the violence of warfare for a returning veteran, or cleanse someone of the dissonance of living in cities for a long time. They may be protective, procuring a blessing for a new venture or for the coming of age of a young person. The artwork shows bands of geometric patterns decorating the warrior figure. Sand paintings are stylized, symbolic pictures prepared by trickling small quantities of crushed, coloured sandstone, charcoal, pollen, or other dry materials in white, blue, yellow, black, and red hues on a background of clean, smoothed sand. The sandpainting is in very nice condition, no obvious signs of marring. Wood frame exhibits scuffing to edges, visible art measure 7.5"W x 15.5"L, frame 9.75W x 17.75"L x .75"D.