Crystal Trading Post Navajo Textile, circa 1920 [SOLD]

J. B. Moore, Trader at Crystal Trading Post in New Mexico from 1900 to 1911 is now famous for introducing to the weavers new patterns of textiles he felt would be saleable to Easterners for use as rugs. His early examples, published in a 1903 catalog, were more similar to classic Navajo textiles and those published in a 1911 catalog were more similar to Persian rugs.

It was his intent to have weavers create rugs that looked familiar to Easterners. They were then using Persian carpets, so his patterns were made to be similar. His idea worked and established a market for the Navajo women's work. Almost 100 years later, some of these rugs are still in use.

This rug from Crystal Trading Post was made by weavers of the area after Moore had departed the post.  His patterns were still somewhat followed although changes crept in without him there giving instructions to the weavers.

This textile is a wonderfully tight weave of all natural grey wool in variegated patterns achieved by carding small amounts of wool at different times.  It is this process that provided such a beautiful background to Navajo textiles of the period.  The pattern down the center of the textile is stacked brown triangles inside which are red triangles on a white field. 

The design patterns on the edges of the textile are right triangles in brown wool alternating with red or gold interiors.  Attached to their apex are diamonds of similar colors.  Wavy lines of three colors are at each end of the textile.

Condition: the textile has just been professionally cleaned.  There is some bleeding of the red into the white, but that can be removed professionally should one wish to do so.  The textile is structurally in very good condition.

Provenance:  from the collection of Chuck and Jan Rosenak, authors of books on Navajo folk art.

Recommended Reading:  Navajo Weaving: Three Centuries of Change (Studies in American Indian Art) by Kate Kent