Navajo Nation Crystal Trading Post Floor Rug with Serrated Diamonds

This early twentieth century rug was woven in the area of Crystal Trading Post in the Chuska Mountains of New Mexico. The Chuska Mountain Range runs along the Arizona-New Mexico border and lies within Apache County in Arizona and McKinley and San Juan Counties in New Mexico. Crystal Trading Post is on one side of the mountain and Two Gray Hills on the other side. The famous former trader at Crystal was J. B. Moore, who departed there in 1911.

Moore prepared mail order catalogs of rugs which he would have woven in any size requested. He would then contact the weaver whose rug had been ordered and have her make one as specified. His tenure at Crystal ended in 1911, but the rug patterns, with some changes, he was having woven continued for a number of years after he departed.

In his 1911 catalog, the rug pictured as #XV seems to have served as the inspiration for this rug. The serrated diamonds that float over the gray background are somewhat like those in the Moore catalog. This rug was woven around the 1940s. The gray background pattern appears to be a mixture of carded white and black wool, resulting in a salt and pepper appearance. The deep red is the result of an aniline dye.

Condition: very good condition

Provenance: this Navajo Nation Crystal Trading Post Floor Rug with Serrated Diamonds is from the estate of the clients to whom we sold this a decade ago.

Recommended Reading: One Hundred Years of Navajo Rugs by Marian E. Rodee

TAGS: textiles, Navajo Nation