Continuous warp, lazy lines and selvage lines are three of the best ways to help identify an authentic Navajo rug. The price of the rug should also be considered. Be wary of Navajo rugs priced at $200 or less, as this can be a clear indicator of a fake. Almost all Navajo rugs are made from wool threads, which appear rougher in texture than cotton or linen. Fringe and ridges along the edge of the rug typically indicate a fake. Warp threads that have been cut and run back into the rug will create ridges on the ends. Almost all Navajo rugs are made without fringe.

You might guess that these rugs come at a higher price because they are so time-consuming to weave. These Navajo rugs from the past are known as antique Navajo rugs. These rugs are rich in history.Contemporary ones, however, are the ones that have been woven from 1950 to the present. The antique ones, on the other hand, are more expensive. It is best to ask the merchant if the rug you are looking at is antique. If the rug is indeed from before the 1950s the merchant should have information about the weaver. It's no surprise that intricate designs can be more difficult to weave. The same applies to the tightness of the weaving.

Native American Large Area Rugs
native american wool kilim rugs

native american wool kilim rugs

A well-made Navajo blanket will have a high collector's value. However, it is important that you remember that the Navajo tribe also produced other products before they began weaving rugs. Many Navajo blankets are used daily and made of natural fibers. They began using wool from desert plants after the Spanish introduced Iberian Churra lambs to their flock. These blankets were eventually replaced with machine-made blankets made in Pendleton.

native american turkey feather rugs

Motifs probably derived from oriental rugs include repeated hook shapes (often called “latch hooks”), the “waterbug” shaped like an “X” with a bar through the middle, the “airplane” or T-shape with rounded ends and, in a small number of weavings, rosettes. An even more lasting and fundamental influence was the concept of a large central motif in one, two or three parts that covers almost all of the ground between the borders. Even the concept of the border itself, usually in two or three layers with at least one in a geometric pattern, is probably traceable to oriental carpet design. Though introduced in the regional around Crystal, these motifs and ideas quickly spread to other areas of the Reservation and are found on many rugs woven throughout the past century.

native american turkey feather rugs
native american rugs ebay
native american rugs ebay

What makes Navajo textiles so amazing is the simple tools the weavers used for creating them. The looms themselves are simple and often built out of doors under a tree. Patterns were and are still plotted in the weaver’s brain. However, to achieve a harmonious design it requires multidimensional thinking and expert artistic ability. All Navajo weavings are hand-woven and require a lot of skill. As is tradition, the weaver and his family raised the sheep. Taking care of the flock was a family responsibility. Early Navajo weavings had special wool made from Churro sheep's breed. This is well-known for its silky, long fibers. Later, as Navajos began making rugs out of wool, they started to include other varieties of sheep in their flocks.

native american authentic rugs

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.

native american authentic rugs