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F.A.1850.76-21 - Rug |
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Catalog Number: F.A.1850.76-21
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| Object Name/Descriptor |
Rug |
| Provenience |
North America, USA, Southwest |
| Culture/People/Style |
Navajo (Dine) |
| Period |
c. 1910 |
| Date Accessioned |
December, 1976 |
| Material Type(s) |
Cloth - Wool
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| Length (cm) |
174 |
| Width (cm) |
109.5 |
| Other Information |
Associated Text from the Native American Hall (1992-2006):
Two Grey Hills Style
The traders who worked to change Navajo womens textiles simultaneously created local styles in the regions surrounding their trading posts. At Two Grey Hills, New Mexico, traders George Bloomfield and Ed Davies worked closely with weavers to improve rug quality. Limiting their yarns to the natural colors of undyed wool, they encouraged craftsmanship and elaborate designs. The distinctive Two Grey Hills style that emerged was the most successful of the twentieth-century Navajo rug styles.
Tapestries for Collectors
"Ive been weaving since I was thirteen. I never got into the job market. It seems that all my life Ive been weaving. Its nice to work at home because I dont need a babysitter. When I finish one rug, I always start another one."
- La Verne Barber, Burnham, New Mexico
Navajo textile production declined over much of the mid-1900s. In the 1960s, a nationwide resurgence of interest in Indian arts stimulated the market for Navajo textiles. This new market was increasingly fed by wealthy collectors. Contemporary weavers responded by producing exquisite tapestries. No longer weaving anonymously, many women developed international reputations.
While age, skill, interest, and incentive vary enormously, weaving is still centered around daily routines in Navajo households. Integral to Navajo womens lives for centuries, weaving continues to be a powerful cultural identifier. |
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