Navajo Rugs

non skid 5 x 7 native american rugs

Rugs that come from Navajo can be considered some of most unique and beautiful textile products. These rugs, named after the Navajo tribe where they were created, are very colorful. This tribe settled in Texas' southwest corner in the 10th- and 11th centuries. They established themselves by 1500. The Navajo tribe's tribal women started weaving chief's blankets around 1800. These blankets were very popular and Indians from the northern Great Plains up to the Mexican border wore them. However, blankets were not considered a symbol or chieftainship. They were, however, a symbol of power and wealth.

Navajo rugs don't have ridges at their ends. Sometimes, someone trying to pass a rug off to Navajo, or to make it look more Navajo, will run the warps back into a rug to remove the fringe. However, this can create ridges at the ends. You can see the doubled-up warps if you separate the weft yarns. This is what I will do next time I see it. This is a common feature in Ye'i rug reproductions made in Mexico.

how to identify native american rugs and blankets

The Chinle style came before theother 2 banded styles. This was a revival of the borderless and banded designsof the Early Classic Period of Navajo weaving. Aniline dyes of red and blackare used for highlights. They have muted pastels with natural greys, whites,golds, and greens. Occasionally they may also have bright and bold black,white, and red. The Chinle style originated in the town of Chinle but is now woven everywhere in theNavajo nation. Because of its simplicity, it takes less time to weave and istherefore one of the most commonly woven rugs.

9x12 native american pattern rugs

9x12 native american pattern rugs

Weaving has always been a major part of the Navajo culture. While it is not entirely known where they learned to weave, they ended up becoming the most skilled out of all the Native Amerian tribes. The vivid geometric patterns on highly-durable fabrics were renown throughout the Southwest.

Navajo Rugs

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There are two exceptions to the “no fringe” rule. Germantown rugs have a fringe that is added on after the rug is woven. They are rare and there’s a good picture of one of them at left. The fringe on an antique Germantown may be partially worn away, or gone altogether, but this does not hurt the structure of the textile, since the fringe is an add-on. The other exception to the rule is a Gallup throw. These small pieces about usually 18″ by 24″ and are woven in the Gallup, New Mexico area. A typical Gallup throw is woven on a cotton warp, and the weaving is cut off and knotted rather than finished in the traditional way so there is a fringe on one end only. There are thousands of Gallup throws out there that were sold to train passengers along the Sante Fe railway. They make a nice addition to a collection and usually will cost $40 to $50, although I’ve seen them go for $250 on eBay.

large vintage native american area rugs
southwest style rug
southwest style rug

Most Navajo rugs have no fringe. 99.5% of Navajo rugs have a fringe. If you see fringe on the piece that you are considering buying, you can ask the seller how they decided that it was Navajo-made. I don't mind if they believe their grandmother bought the rug at J. L. Hubbell. But if it has fringe, it most likely isn't Navajo. Navajo rugs are woven in continuous figure eight techniques and fill the entire warp. The left picture shows a rug being made. These loops are visible at the ends Navajo rugs.

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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!

ebay area rugs native american design