The average cost of these textiles ranges from $40 to $50 at the time of publication. Germantown rugs are the only authentic Navajo rugs to have fringe. These antique rugs feature fringe that was added later on in the weaving process. Navajo rugs almost always use wool threads. This material is more coarse than linen and cotton, but it's still very durable. False rugs are often identified by ridges and fringe along the rug's edges. Edge ridges can be caused by warp threads being cut and reinserted into the rug. You might have noticed a wide range of prices when shopping for rugs. Some are quite affordable while others go over and above the average.
Dr. J. Mark Sublette discusses the proper way to care for authentic Navajo rugs and Navajo blankets. This video is a must-watch for anyone who is interested in collecting authentic Navajo rugs or blankets. Dr. J. Mark Sublette explains the pitfalls and condenses over 25 years of experience into one tutorial video. This video by Medicine Man Gallery CEO Dr. J. Mark Sublette will explain how professional art dealers value and buy authentic Navajo rugs and Navajo blankets. Whether you haven’t purchased your first rug yet or have been collecting for years, you need to see this video.
The main colors are browns, olives, maroons, and mustardsaccented with a color such as white, red, or black. This rug originates from the Wide Ruins, Pine Springs, Burntwater, and Standing Rock region of the Navajo Nation. Early Crystalsused aniline dyes and were richly designed. They were bordered rugs with acentral design woven of natural colors, maybe with a touch of red. After themid-1940s, the borderless, vegetal-dyed designs came into being. The difference between the Crystal and the Wide Ruins and Chinle banded design rugs is that bthebands in the Crystal are bordered horizontally by wavy lines which are produced by alternating 2 or 3 different colors of weft stands (side to side foundation cords). Also, the vegetal dyes allow for more extensive use of the natural wool colors.
These blankets were highly coveted trade items in tribes that didn’t have their own weaving traditions. Even back then, Navajo blankets would have been very expensive, so only the most wealthy tribe members could afford one. Plains cultures in particular valued Navajo Navajo covers for their warmth. You could identify a horse rider wearing one of these weavings by the design on his blanket.
Yebechais have more human proportions, usually face sideways, and have legs bent in a dancing motion. The most common types of Yei and Yeibechai rugs feature multiple figures oriented parallel with the weft threads so that the rug appears wider than long when the figures are upright. Two distinct styles emerged in the 1920s. Those made in the area of Shiprock, New Mexico tend to have light colored backgrounds with no border, and often use brightly colored commercial yarns. Yeis and Yeibechais made in the central part of the reservation (northeastern Arizona) tend to have dark backgrounds with simple borders.
The Ganado and Klagetoh style rugs continue to be made to this day and are among the most popular of all Navajo rug designs. J.B. Moore, who owned the trading post at Crystal, New Mexico from 1897-1911, was another visionary trader who exercised enormous influence over early Navajo rug design. Perhaps his most important innovation was to introduce weavers in his region to Oriental rug patterns. Rather than copying wholesale, the Navajo filtered the new patterns through their own cultural sensibilities and personal design preferences. In the process, they drew out specific concepts and motifs, re-synthesizing them into distinctly Navajo designs.
It’s a textile woven for the tourist trade in southern Mexico and Guatemala. It can be cut apart where the warps aren’t woven or displayed as is. It’s genuine Navajo and is a variant of the Storm Pattern. I don’t have size information, but in good condition, a rug like this should be worth about $100 per square foot. This is a twill double saddle blanket. The require quite a bit of skill to weave, but for some reason they never get the auction value that they should. Figure an auction value of $350 to $600 and a retail of $750 to $800. I purchased a Two Grey Hills rug at Toadlena Trading in 1984. I decided to splurge and bought a rug from a master weaver. I packed the rug away years ago and sadly lost the original info on the weaver. Is there any possible way to find out the weaver of this rug by the design etc? I would be more then grateful for any suggestions!