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Navajo (Dine) Transitional blanket with moki and traditional designs

Offered by: Marcy Burns American Indian Arts LLC

Description
Some Navajo textiles cross over in classification from being fine craft into pure art. This textile is clearly in the art category in terms of phenomenal design and artistic impact. At the same time, the blanket incorporates very traditional elements in the design.

We call the period immediately after the Navajo were forced onto Reservations “the Transitional Period” in Navajo weavings. The weavers needed to produce weavings that could be sold on the commercial market through traders, who encouraged them to weave rugs rather than blankets. Bright, aniline dyes and dyed wool was made available to the better weavers which inspired them to make “eyedazzlers”, textiles that incorporated designs that played off of the juxtability of the colors.

In this blanket, the weaver utilized these techniques within a framework that was at once traditional but also innovative. This textile has borders, a feature that came in with the weaving of rugs, but if you look closely, you will also see a horizontal 5-banded design with the center band being the boldest, a feature seen in traditional blankets. Moreover, the weaver incorporated a moki background, which was made up of thin horizontal black and purple bands. These were an influence from earlier Pueblo and Navajo textiles.

ex: Marcy Burns American Indian Arts LLC; Private Collection

More Information

Origin:	United States, New Mexico
Period:	19th Century
Materials:	natural and synthetic-dyed wool. Woven on a vertical loom.
Condition:	New. excellent condition
Creation Date:	1880-1890s
Styles / Movements:	American Indian, Modern
Patterns:	Geometric, Handmade
Dealer Reference #:	mc2251
Incollect Reference #:	411210

Dimensions

W.	54 in;	H.	80.5 in;
W.	137.16 cm;	H.	204.47 cm;

Message from Seller:

For over thirty years, Marcy Burns American Indian Arts LLC has been nationally recognized as a premier dealer in antique American Indian basketry, textiles, pottery and jewelry, including Native American and Classic Designer jewelry from Taxco, Mexico.