They are more likely to incorporate natural wool colors and more subdued chemical shades. Yeis continue to be very popular with collectors and are now being made in nearly all parts of the reservation. Although rugs have been the predominant product of Navajo looms over past century, weavers have continued to make other types of products, if on a smaller scale. Navajo culture thoroughly embraced the horse in the late 19th century, and saddle blankets were commonly produced until the 1950s.

Older rugs might be dirty, or may have acquired other odors. It is funny to see a potential buyer look through a store's inventory and sniff the rugs. A buyer should be able recognize the differences between wool and other materials. While there are some more scientific methods of testing wool, they aren't always practical in the context where a rug is being purchased from an Indian arts dealer or store. Zapotec is another Mexican knock-off. Many Mexican RugsZapotec have wide ends and end cords. These end cords are added after the rug was woven. As explained previously, the warp ends of the rug will be buried with adjacent cut warp end. It is important that knock-offs of all origin use designs taken from books and photos. The Zapotec is the biggest manufacturer of counterfeit Navajo rugs. Teotitlan de Valle's Zapotec rug industry is heavily involved in the production of fakes and knockoffs. They create the most convincing, high-quality fakes.

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The impetus behind this trend came primarily from Anglo collectors, traders, and government agencies that had a sincere desire to upgrade the quality of Navajo weaving and return to traditional, pre-rug patterns. The resulting rugs were not literal copies of older pieces, but were creative variations on banded designs using a wide palette of newly developed vegetal dye colors made from indigenous plants, as well as new, subtly colored chemical dyes. Mary Cabot Wheelwright, founder of the Wheelwright Museum in Santa Fe, probably started the “vegetal revival” by providing weavers around Chinle, Arizona with the new dyes and sketches of old weavings.

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woven rugs real native american

It will be difficult for you to compare a Navajo Navajo rugs with one from a modern factory. If you are interested in a Navajo rugs, you can be sure to grab a piece that is richly crafted and has a long history. My team is here to share all the relevant information we have about carpets and rugs. Rug wants to be the one-stop shop for all things rug and carpet related. Rug is committed to providing information and facts that help you make the best decisions about which rug to buy and how to use it. Medicine Man Gallery specializes Navajo rugs & blankets. This includes early Classic Navajo Blankets as well as Chiefs Blankets and Transitional Blankets. We also have Navajo weavings from Ganado and Two Grey Hills. Four periods can be classified into Navajo rugs or blankets: Classic Period 1650-1868, Late Classic Period 1865-1880 and Transitional Period 1895, Rug Period 1895-Present.

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Juan Lorenzo Hubbell was, by most accounts, the leading trader of the early period in rug-making, and owned several trading posts around the Reservation. Hubbell’s home and base of operation were at Ganado, Arizona about 50 miles south of Canyon de Chelly. His tastes ran to Classic Period weavings and many of the early rugs made by Ganado area weavers were close enough in appearance to classic mantas and serapes to have earned the generic name, Hubbell Revival rugs. Hubbell guided his weavers by displaying paintings of rug patterns he favored. Many of these paintings can still be seen at the original trading post, now preserved and operated as a National Historic Site.

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Weavers frequently outlined the small serrated patterns with a single yarn of contrasting color to heighten the visual complexity and impact. This patterning technique became known as the Eyedazzler and continues to be popular to the present day. Both the banded and diamond pattern homespun blankets of the late 19th century are generically known as Transitional Blankets because they signaled the end of Navajo blanket production and ushered in the era of the Navajo rug. By the 1890s, the internal demand for Navajo weaving was almost non-existent. To make matters worse a widespread financial panic seized the US economy in 1893, depressing commodity prices for the raw wool that had come to replace weavings as the Navajo’s primary trade item.

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It should be noted, however, that many rugs produced throughout the century did not conform to a particular regional style and are now difficult to assign to a specific trading post. In recent years as weavers have become more mobile and independent of local trading posts, they often choose to weave patterns originated outside of their area. Many also combine motifs and characteristics from several different regions. As a result, the regional style names are now mostly used to identify common pattern types without necessarily referring to the exact place of origin of a specific weaving. Juan Lorenzo Hubbell was, by most accounts, the leading trader of the early period in rug-making, and owned several trading posts around the Reservation.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, please let us know within 3 days from when you placed your order.
As soon as your order ships, you will receive an email with tracking info and then following emails with shipping updates.
We accept all major credit or debit cards. You can also pay with your PayPal account.
Just send us an email with your order number and we’ll send you instructions.  We will give you a full refund within the first 60 days after your order ships out.  After that, we have to charge a 25% restocking fee. You are responsible for return shipping fees unless you are swapping for a different design or size.
Yes! We can ship anywhere in the world. Please send us an email with your address before placing an order outside of the US and Canada though. We need to partially charge you for shipping when you place your order.
All of our rugs are made to order and go through a rigorous inspection process. You can typically expect your rug to be shipped 2 weeks from when you make your purchase.
We find rug pads are not necessary to protect your flooring. However, some people choose to use rug pads to prevent their rug from sliding around.