Wool Native American Rugs

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First Phase blankets were made from about 1800 to 1850 and consisted simply of brown (or blue) and white stripes with the top, bottom and center stripes usually being wider than the others. Second Phase blankets included small red rectangles at the center and ends of the darker stripes and were made about 1840 to 1870. The Third Phase type, between 1860 and 1880, saw the addition of stepped or serrated diamonds of color to the center and ends of the wide stripes. In weavings of the Fourth Phase, made from 1870 through the early 1900s, diamond motifs became larger and more elaborate, often overtaking the stripes as primary design elements. Revivals of chief’s blankets-usually made as rugs-have been popular since the 1950s.

A more complicated type of design was derived from Hispanic Saltillo serapes which featured brightly colored patterns of serrated diamond shapes. 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.

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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.

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I am available to help identify textiles for $20-50 per piece. The Eyedazzler was the most common name for the weaver. Some people may call it a squash bloom. The banded rug at the top isn't a traditional style. Some people might call it a saddle blanket or chief blanket design.

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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.

Wool Native American Rugs
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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. During this difficult time, several traders realized that there could be an external market for Navajo weavings made as rugs rather than blankets. The nascent market for Indian rugs was fueled at the turn of the century by a growing national interest in Native peoples and artifacts. Well-heeled tourists to the Southwest wanted unique souvenirs of the exotic places and peoples they visited, and rugs could easily be incorporated into the highly eclectic and overstuffed interiors of the period.

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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.

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