This charming little weaving
features four distinctive rug desings in one!
Clockwise from top left -
Ganado Red, Two Grey Hills, Chief Blanket, & Burntwater.
Ganado Red:
The deep, rich, red-dyed wool
is what many lovers of Navajo weaving associate with the craft.
The red dye dates back to some of the earliest blankets and remains
a dominant color in many of today's rugs. Lorenzo Hubbel, a famous
early trader at his post in Ganado, Arizona, loved and encouraged
the use of the rich red color. The weavers usually have to trade
for the aniline dye source as it can rarely be duplicated using
natural sources. Although, Ganado Reds are typically thought
of as bearing a central geometric pattern, the designs that use
Ganado Red can vary from Revivals of Blankets, to Storm Patterns,
to early Crystal designs and more.
Two Grey Hills:
Some of the finest weavings
on the Reservation come from the Two Grey Hills area. From the
time the Spanish first brought sheep to the New World, the weavers
in this area have bred their sheep for the richest natural brown
wool. A Two Grey Hills weaving can by identified by a central
diamond motif, woven with wool spun with natural black or dark
brown, white, and blends carded together to make beautiful greys
and tans. Two Grey Hills weavers use very little or no dye and
are also known for their very fine spinning. In these fine weavings
known as "Tapestry Quality," weft counts exceed 80
threads per inch and sometimes approach up to 120 threads per
inch or more.
Chief Blanket:
Chief Blankets derive their
name from an old tradition among Southwestern tribes. Because
woven blankest were expensive, they were usually owned by those
who were of great stature - such as the chief. Nineteenth century
photographs often depicted such chiefs with their woolen blankets
and serapes draped about them. Today, modern weavers have revived
the traditional designs.
Blanket Revivals are contemporary
weavings bearing the classic wearing blanket patterns of the
19th Century. While Navajo weaving has evolved a great deal over
the past century and a half, these weavings pay tribute to some
of the earliest and most enduring patterns of this art form.
Burntwater:
A relatively new style, Burntwater
weavings come from the Southern part of the reservation where
the art of vegetal dying is still alive and well. As opposed
to the banded designs of the Wide Ruins and Crystals (also known
for their natural dye sources,) Burntwater weavings are usually
bordered with a central design motif. Due to the nature of dyes
derived from plant sources Burntwater color palettes range from
soothing, soft pastels to deep, rich earth tones.
