After being at war with white settlers as well as other Native tribes the Navajo honed a skill which allowed them to make blankets. The Navajo are very well-known for their weaving skills. PBS reported that they learned how to make wool and herd sheep in the 17th Century from Spanish immigrants. In the late 17th-century, they had learned from the Pueblo intricate weaving methods. The Navajo mastered weaving techniques and produced blankets of such high quality they could actually hold water. They could be used both as blankets as well as coats. Navajo blankets are a valued item because of their durability and versatility as well as their decorative patterns. The blankets became more expensive. The blankets were appreciated by those who had the resources, such as tribal chiefs.
These blankets were highly valued trade items among tribes that did not have weaving traditions of their own. Even at that time, Navajo blankets were expensive to acquire, so only the most affluent tribe members could afford one. Plains cultures, in particular, valued Navajo blankets for their warmth, comfort, and visual beauty. A man on horseback wearing one of these weavings could be identified by the design of his blanket before his face’s features came into view. In terms of the Navajo weaving traditions, Navajo wearing blankets were only made for about 50 years. The end of the era came as mechanical weaving technologies advances signaled the end of the art form as affordable commercial blankets such as those produced by Pendleton Woolen Mills became widely available.
The process of weaving, to the Navajo, is a spiritual one. Each weaver puts her (or occasionally, his) soul and creative energy into the weaving of a rug. Though it may have a characteristic regional design, it will be the interpretation of the weaver that will make that rug its own enduring piece of art. While basic knowledge of regional characteristics is useful in the study of Navajo rug ID, in the Navajo nation today a rug with a regional name such as Two Grey Hills may have actually been woven by a weaver from a completely different region.
J.Sublette, Navajo textile authority, explains why Navajo blankets are so valuable. Mark Sublette explains how Navajo blankets can be so valuable. The three main factors that make Navajo blankets so valuable are scarcity and rarity. Navajo blankets were an older form of Navajo weavings. They were produced between 1840-1890. These textiles could be wrapped around your body and worn, and were soft and drapable. While saddle blankets are more collectible than a wearing blanket, they are not as expensive. Even at peak production, Navajo weavings weren't easy to find. A blanket can take up to one year to weave, not counting the time required to raise the sheep and make the wool.
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. are really no color rules, except they should harmonize.This design also contains a lot of diagonal lines. The name of the rug comes from a settlement in the NE cornerof the Navajo nation and means ‘Cottonwoods in a Circle.’ This is a very interestingrug and has some distinguishable design features. In the center of the rug willbe a rectangle that represents the center of the universe.
Most Navajo rugs do not have a fringe. By most, I mean 99.5%. If the piece you’re looking at has a fringe, you ask that seller how they determined that the piece was Navajo made. I don’t care if they think their sainted grandmother bought the rug from J.L. Hubbell, if it has fringe, it probably isn’t Navajo. Navajo rugs are warped in a continuous figure eight technique and the weaving fills the entire warp. The picture at left shows a rug being woven. If you look carefully at the ends of a Navajo rug, you will see the ends of these loops.
Zapotec and Mexican knock-offs are known for their wide end borders. End cords are often added after the rug is woven. The adjacent cut warp ends will be buried together with the warp ends, as previously described. It is important to note that many knockoffs, regardless if they are of the same origin, copy designs straight from books. The Zapotec are the most prolific producers of fake Navajo rugs. Teotitlan de Valle, where Zapotec rugs are made, has a large industry dedicated to producing fakes and knockoffs. They create the most convincing fakes and make the highest number.