Navajo rugs may have a side selvage line. To maintain a straight edge for their Navajo weavings, Navajo weavers frequently use a twisted version of the side selvage. While a fringe may not be as reliable as a side selvage, the presence or absence is a sign that the cord might be Navajo. Mexican weavers create straight lines in their pieces by using three to five warps or even one thick warp. If you find a rug made with outside warps which are visibly thicker than the rug, be sure to inspect the ends of the rug. You will see fringe or evidence that warp ends have been sewn back into the rug to remove the fringe.
Continuous warp, lazy lines and selvage lines are three of the best ways to help identify an authentic Navajo rug. The price of the rug should also be considered. Be wary of Navajo rugs priced at $200 or less, as this can be a clear indicator of a fake. Almost all Navajo rugs are made from wool threads, which appear rougher in texture than cotton or linen. Fringe and ridges along the edge of the rug typically indicate a fake. Warp threads that have been cut and run back into the rug will create ridges on the ends. Almost all Navajo rugs are made without fringe.
It looked more like the similarly colored, simply woven baby blanket (one of four I insisted on sleeping with for years) that I had dubbed “car seat blankey” because it spent most of its time snuggling with me on the short trips to preschool, or longer rides to my house in the country. But who was I to be so discerning? I’m no expert in Native American history! So I decided to give it a chance, and read more about the item before I am so quick to pass judgjement. To my delight, I discovered that it was chock full of historical relevance and had an incredible provenance!
When Germantown wool from Pennsylvania was originally imported, it afforded the weavers a wonderful range of new colors to work with and this design wasperfect for the combining contrasting colors. This rug design looks almost Persian and perhaps least likea Navajo. It is a very busy and bold design with a wide border filled witha variety of motifs, especially a lightning path. It is a complex design andthe rugs are often large. The centers of these rugs are quite elaborate withfeathers, arrows, and claw-like hooks extending from the points of diamonds andtriangles. Zigzags will be everywhere.
Borders, however, conflicted with the inherit nature of design to Native Americans. Their creations were believed to be connected with their spirituality, and something that should be shared. Acting as a boundary, borders inhibited the spirituality of the design. The solution was to incorporate another rare feature – the Spider Woman’s Hole.A small slit in the center of the blanket’s design field, the Spider Woman’s Hole is named after the woman who, legend says, taught the Navajo to weave. The hole acts as a sort of spirit line that allows the design energy that went into the piece back into the world. People who love to decorate their houses with rugs of different types and designs might have heard about the most unique rugs named Navajo rugs.
As you might have guessed, because they take so much time and effort to weave, these rugs automatically get a relatively higher price tag. The antique Navajo rugs are the ones that are weaved before the 1950s. These have a touch of history to them. On the other hand, the contemporary ones are the ones that are weaved from 1950 to the present. In comparison, the antique ones are pricier than the others.