The Storm style of Navajo
weaving is distinguished strictly by its design. The Storm pattern
is a bordered design in which the middle of the weaving represents
the center of the universe. Four corner rectangles represent
the homes of the four winds; or by some interpretations, the
four sacred mountains of the Navajo world.
Zigzag lightning bolts connect
these corner rectangles with the center of the design. The space
between the main design and the border often contains stylized
elements such as clouds or other geometric elements.
The Storm style of weaving
originated in the western region of the Navajo Nation around
Tuba City, AZ. Although the Storm is the only rug style that
purports to be an abstract portrayal of a natural event, it is
widely believed that a trader in Tuba City developed and promoted
the style among weavers.
"It can most likely be
attributed to the trader's visual conception of a Navajo legend.
It is also said to have first appeared on flour sacks from Flagstaff
about that time.
"In between [the four
corners] are geometric designs representing water symbols (water
bugs and clouds) or swastikas, which represent whirling logs.
It is not unusual, also, to see designs representing sacred feathers
and bows and arrows.
"Originally, the colors
used were red, black, and white with a natural gray or red background.
They now can be seen in natural brown and vegetal dye colors.
They can also be found in many other areas of the Reservation,
but not in any significant quantity.
"The complexity of the
design combined with all of the possible symbolism has made this
type of rug popular with collectors"
- from Ray Manley's Fine Art of Navajo
Weaving (28)