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A well-made Navajo blanket can have a high value collector. It is important to note that before they started weaving rugs, the Navajo tribe made many other products. Many Navajo blankets, made of natural fibers, were intended for daily use. The Spanish introduced the Iberian Churra and they began to use desert wool in their blankets. These blankets were replaced eventually by machine-made blankets, which were made in Pendleton Oregon. A Navajo Rug that is hand-spun from wool will have a higher cost than one made from mass-produced wool. The reason is that the wool is both heavier and more luxurious. Tapestries, which have at least 80 threads per inch, are some of the most beautiful rugs. A well-made rug is balanced and has straight edges. Because some rug weavers add imperfections, it is likely that your rug is not uniform.

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.

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A common problem for new collectors is determining if a Navajo Navajo rug authentic. Because weavings from Mexico could look very similar to Navajo rugs and confuse novices, it is essential to know exactly what to search for. Pay attention to weavings described as "Navajo-style". This designation lets you know you're not looking at a authentic Navajo Navajo rugs but a Mexican reproduction.

Native American Rugs for Sale Amazon
native american rugs 20 x 30

native american rugs 20 x 30

These rugs are distinctive and therefore more expensive than most. Other reasons are available. Authentic Navajo rugs woven using a Navajo Loom are hand-woven. Standard sizes include 6x9, 4x6, 5x8 and 4x6. The common sizes can be seen in the following table. Larger sizes can take up to a year to weave.

southwestern area rug

The imitators may use wool but there are poor fakes made in Mexico that use polyester. Some fakes made in India or Pakistan use a blend of wool and polyester or acrylic. Contrary to another author, sniffing the rug to determine if the rug is made from wool is not useful. Much of the wool use in contemporary Navajo rugs has very little lanolin and doesn't smell at all. Older rugs may have been cleaned or have acquired other odors. It is comic to watch a potential buyer go through a store's inventory sniffing the rugs. A buyer should learn to distinguish the look and feel of wool from other materials. While there are more scientific means of testing for wool, they are usually not practical in the context of purchasing a rug from a store or Indian arts dealer.

southwestern area rug
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Rugs woven in the Ukraine will be good reproductions of Navajo rug designs. The sides selvages have bundled warps and the ends will be nicely hand serged. These rugs are really flatwoven rugs with southwestern or Navajo style designs. Unfortunately they are often sold as the genuine article in Indian arts stores.

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According to another author sniffing the rug to check if it is wool is not a good idea. Many contemporary Navajo rugs made of wool have very little lanolin. Older rugs may be dirty or have other odors. It's quite amusing to watch potential buyers peruse a store's inventory, smelling the rugs. The buyer must be able differentiate between wool and other materials. There are scientific ways to test wool, but these are rarely practical for rug purchases from Indian art dealers or stores. Zapotec or other Mexican knockoffs have often wide end borders. They also include end cords. These are added after the rug's woven. As previously mentioned, the warp ends are buried next to the cut warp edges. It should be noted, however, that many knockoffs are made from designs taken directly out of books. Number one in the production of fake Navajo rugs is Zapotec. Teotitlan de Valle (Zapotec Rugs) is where most of their industry is concentrated. They specialize in making knock-offs and fakes. They create the most convincing fakes, and they make the highest quality.

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