You might be curious about the value of a Navajo rug. These handwoven rugs are beautiful because of their authenticity. However, not all authentic Navajo rugs are worth the same amount. There are several ways to appraise Navajo rugs. It can be taken to a museum or sold to professional retailers. You also have the option of selling it online via sites such as eBay. If your Navajo rug is in poor condition, you can restore it to increase its value. A professional appraiser can be hired to assess it. A well-made Navajo blanket is a valuable collector item. It is also important to keep in mind that many other products were produced by the Navajo tribe before weaving rugs. Many Navajo blankets could be used every day and were made from natural fibers. After the Spanish introduced Iberian Churra sheep to Spain, they started using wool from desert plants in their blankets. These blankets were eventually replaced by machine-made blankets that were produced in Pendleton (Oregon).
5 x 7 native american rugs suitable for office useIt is important to remember that if you are unsure whether a rug is authentic Navajo, you should not purchase it. To ensure you get authentic Navajo rugs, you should work with a trusted dealer.
Also called a serape, this blanket was made during the tribe’s internment in eastern New Mexico in 1865. Woven in rich reds, the piece is striking as much for its color as for the bordered design. Red was extremely hard to come by then, especially by the Native Americans. Their way around this was to unravel machine made rugs, and re-weave the thread into their own designs. But this design is also rare, and shows the growing intrusion of the outside world not on just the Navajo culture, but their art as well. Notice the partial borders at the blanket’s four corners. Bordered textiles were a popular theme of the time, picked up from the detailing seen on exotic Oriental rugs. Their use here suggests the weavers had seen such rugs – though most likely through photographs – and copied the style.
The picture shows that the young woman seated behind Jane Hyden is wearing a biil, which is pronounced "beel" in Navajo. It is also known as a rug gown. According to some sources, the Pueblo tribe introduced weaving to Navajo. Or at least a new way of weaving with a vertical loom. They were able weave long, durable, smooth fibers thanks to the new loom and their unique sheep, the Navajo Churro. Pendleton Blankets have a long association with Native Americans. This blanket is the most well-known name in American Indian Trade Blankets.
These rugs are very rare and thus very valuable and are producedin the Two Grey Hillsand Shiprock areas. Yeis (yays) are the Holy People (supernatural) who cancommunicate between the Navajo people and their gods. They are usually shown face-frontand are tall, slender figures carrying rattles, cornstalks, etc. There are someelements of some sandpaintings but these rugs are not used in ceremonies. Any combination and amount of colors may be used. They can be commerciallyor vegetal dyed and contain different numbers of Yei figures. Sometimes thesefigures are surrounded by the guardian rainbow Yei symbol.
The weaving's value is increased by the use of native Churro sheep wool and hand dying. Every weaving comes with a Churro Certificate, which includes a photograph of the weaver and details about the Navajo rugs. Find out more about the Navajo Churro Collection. There are 28 types of Navajo Rugs. Some Styles are harder to weave than other. Value is affected by the quality and precision of the weave. The more intricate and finer the weave is, the greater the value of the piece. The value of a Navajo Rug will depend on its condition. Consider the condition (is it damaged, clean, straight, or color-run, etc.). Compare the appeal of the weaving to your needs and make a decision. There are times when issues can be fixed – but that is another blog on Care & Repair. Pricing for all Navajo rugs is available on our website. If a price does not appear, it could be either part of the Navajo Churro Collection or an important and valuable Antique or Contemporary Navajo Rug. Any of these pieces will be provided with pricing. I was shocked to see that a 19th century antique Navajo Navajo blanket had been sold at an auction for $1,800,000. "What?!" I thought it to myself, or maybe I said it aloud. "How could this sell for that much money?" It was a plain blanket, no more beautiful or interesting than the mundane Moroccans in our gallery. It looked more like the simple, similarly colored, woven baby blanket I used for years.