native american pattern rugs

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.

First, authentic Navajo rugs have a unique vertical loom that uses a continuous weave. The warp thread travels from the bottom of a loom to its top, looping down to the bottom and looping back up to the top. The Navajo rug is built on the warp yarn. The weft yarn creates its design patterns. Mexican looms can be horizontally oriented. They use multiple pieces and fringed ends of warp threads. If fringed ends are visible, it is likely that you are looking at a Mexican-made rug. It has individual warp threads, rather than a Navajo-made rug with one long continuous warp. However, this rule doesn't always apply. Some early Navajo "Germantown” style weavings might have included fringe.