Another way to check the authenticity of the Navajo rug is to look for lazy lines. Lazy lines appear as a diagonal line in the weave of the fabric. During the weaving process, the rug maker would move to work on adjacent sections of the warp, resulting in the subtle diagonal lines referred to as lazy lines. These lines would be almost impossible to detect by looking at a photograph of the rug online.
According to Navajo weaving practices, Navajo wearing blankets lasted only about 50 years. The end came with the advancements in mechanical weaving technology. As a result, blankets that were affordable and made by Pendleton Woolen Mills became more widely available.
These rugs were also difficult to spin, due to the labor-intensive work of the weavers.The Navajo rugs are distinctive because of their unique designs. These rugs have different geometric patterns that are unique to other rugs.We have already discussed how the Navajo weaver combines different yarns on handlooms to create multiple strips of design. These stripes were very thin, but they stood out amongst the hundreds of other stripes on the rug. The corners of the Navajo rugs were also decorated with borders that represented their culture, heritage, and spirituality. The borders were designed to tell the stories of their lives and preserve their traditions in the smallest details. These rugs are made from premium wool and yarn.
Selvage lines run along the sides of the rug. The line is actually two or more threads twisting around each other and interlaced through the edge of the fabric. Selvage lines help the weaver maintain a straight edge and give the rug a finished look. Although the presence of selvage lines helps indicate the authenticity of a Navajo rug, the absence of these lines does not necessarily mean the rug is not authentic. It is possible to see selvage lines in a photograph.
This type of weaving was developed in the 1950s and involvesa special technique which results in a three dimensional effect, making araised outline on the front side. Many of the New Lands weavers come from the Coal Mine Mesa area of the Navajo Nation. These are small, loosely woven, pictorial mats meant for the tourist trade and woven in Gallup, New Mexico. They were small, inexpensive and easy to transport, making them popular souvenirs for visits to the Navajo Nation. Gentle scrubbing continues. Note the wringer in the background-the next step in the washing process after rinsing. After thorough rinsing, the rug is sent slowly and carefully through the wringer to take out as much of the water as possible before being hung on racks in the drying room.
Another common format is called the “Tree of Life” pattern, consisting of a corn stalk rising from a Navajo wedding basket, with birds adorning the leaves of the cornstalk. Despite the obvious symbolism of patterns such as the “Tree of Life,” most pictorial motifs had no specific religious meaning; they simply were objects common in the culture or of special interest to the weaver. The major exceptions to this rule, however, were weavings that portrayed Yeis, or Navajo Holy People, and weavings that recreated sacred ceremonial sand paintings. A small number of weavers made Sand Painting Rugs as early as the 1890s in the area around Two Grey Hills. Most famously, the medicine man Hosteen Klah made a series of sand painting rugs with the help of his mother and nieces between 1919 and 1936.
This article will focus on the exemplary authentic Navajo Blankets, which were featured in Masterpieces from the Loom (2011) at Medicine Man Gallery. These include Navajo Chief's blankets and transitional blankets. Also, Germantown pictorials and other early Navajo blanket styles are discussed. Navajo saddle covers are a very unusual type of Navajo weaving. Medicine Man Gallery owner, Dr. J. Mark Sublette talks about these amazing Navajo blankets, which were featured in an exhibition at the gallery in 2009. These topics cover style, form, as well as appeal to collectors.
