The Bisti Navajo rug is the rarest of these Regional rugs, which are often made with more than nine borders. Many Bisti rugs have a thin checkered border. They display definite Oriental influences. Bisti rugs originated in the 1890s at a trading post southwest of Two Grey Hills. In 1896, J.B. Moore purchased the trading post and renamed it, Crystal, after a mountain spring of pure sparkling water.
The Navajo masterfully mastered the art of weaving, creating blankets that could hold water. They could be used as blankets or coats, and were available in a wide range of colors and designs. Navajo blankets have become a valuable item due to their durability, versatility and decorative patterns. The blankets became expensive over time. The blankets were valued by those with the means, like tribal chiefs, and they were worn often for ceremonial purposes, according to PBS. The Navajo began to develop their blanket-weaving techniques as they improved and honed their skills. The Traditional Fine Arts Organization says that blankets evolved with new styles, colors, and more intricate designs. This took time and dedication. Their product range grew quickly from blankets and wraps, to rugs. The demand for both grew. This was driven by traders, which also influenced regional designs. The Navajo began to include their gods and spiritual characters in their woven creations .A Navajo blanket was $100-$150 in the 19th century -- this was during a time when men earned about $5 per week. Today, Navajo blankets and rugs can be purchased for as low as $500 or as high up to several thousand dollars. Prices vary depending on the size of the rug, its age, tightness, and complexity of the design.
Rugs woven here in Ukraine will look like Navajo rugs. The sides selvages contain bundled warps. The ends are hand-sealed. These rugs are flatwoven rugs that have Navajo or southwestern-inspired designs. They are sometimes sold in Indian arts stores as genuine merchandise. These rugs, which take so much time and effort, are usually more expensive than others. The antique Navajo rugs have been woven before the 1950s. They have a hint of history.On the contrary, the current ones are those that have been weaved between 1950-present. The antique ones on the other side are much more expensive. This is why it's best to check with the merchant to see if the rug really is antique. If the rug is genuine, it should be dated before the 1950s.
The best way to identify a genuine Navajo rug is to look for the warp and selvage lines. These lines are often continuous, although the weaver can vary. Fake rugs can be harder to spot, particularly if they are priced at less than $200. The warp threads in a fake rug will also have ridges on the end since they are made of wool rather than cotton.
Families quickly rebuilt their sheep herds and resumed production of their own hand-spun yarns, although the Churro sheep had been replaced by American Merino sheep which had shorter, greasier wool that was much harder to clean and spin by hand. Weavers also found that the market for their blankets was changing rapidly. The trading post system and its ties to the railroad brought relatively cheap manufactured clothing and supplies to the Navajo and surrounding tribes. Anglo-style coats and dresses were replacing wearing blankets as the clothing of choice among Native peoples.
A watershed in Navajo weaving came in the 1860s with the incarceration of about 8000 men, women and children at Bosque Redondo reservation in eastern New Mexico. In an effort to subdue and “domesticate” the Indians, the US Army slaughtered the Navajo’s sheep and destroyed their crops and homes. The government allowed weaving to continue during the internment by replacing the Navajo’s home-grown wool with factory-made yarns from Europe and the eastern United States. After the Navajo returned to their homelands in 1868, the US government continued to provide commercial yarns as part of their “annuity” support for the Navajo people.