Navajo (Dine) dress

woven out of handspun wools, natural, indigo-dyed and synthetic-dyed
Excellent condition, with wear around the middle of the dress (likely caused by concho belt wear)


This dress panel was clearly woven by a woman who had woven Classic early dresses. The design and weave imply a much earlier date than that ascribed above but the red wool has been dye tested and comes up as a very early synthetic red dye (azo). Records indicate that this particular dye was invented in 1880. The quality of the weaving and its design indicate a very skilled weaver.

There is visible wear in the areas where the concho belt would have rested. The dress' design is elegant and the colors of the indigo blue, the natural brown, and the red are all very rich. There is no fading or dye run.

Originally, there would have been two matching panels, held together by a manta pin on one side and stitching on the top of the shoulder on the other side. Dresses rarely survive in a pair.