Extra Large Navajo Rug with Third Phase Chief Blanket Design

This extra-large Navajo floor rug, featuring a Third Phase Chief Blanket Design, was expertly crafted from Churro wool—a highly valued material in Navajo weaving. Churro sheep, introduced by the Spanish in the 16th century, produce long, durable wool with a silky texture that is ideal for creating sturdy, high-quality textiles. This rug, measuring just over 7 feet by almost 6 feet, showcases both its impressive size and skilled craftsmanship.

The Chief Blanket is the quintessential Navajo textile. This textile form has antecedents in Pueblo textiles. It was formed after the wider-than-long format of the pueblo manta and the formal striped motif came from banded pieces. The Chief blanket is the only Navajo textile woven on the loom in a wider than longer format. Take note of the different dye lots of red yarn which the weaver chose to highlight different aspects of the rug.

The Third Phase Chief Blanket design reflects a blend of patterns from earlier periods. The First Phase (circa 1800-1850) featured simple horizontal stripes, while the Second Phase (up to around 1870) added bold red stripes. The Third Phase, exemplified in this rug, incorporates more intricate patterns like diamonds, marking a significant artistic development in Navajo weaving. Though the Diné of the Navajo Nation did not have chiefs in the traditional sense, they assumed that the Plains Indians, who traded highly valuable items like horses or jewelry for these blankets, were acquiring them for their own leaders, hence the term Chief Blanket.

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: this Extra Large Navajo Rug with Third Phase Chief Blanket Design is from a client of Adobe Gallery

Recommended Reading: Kaufman, Alice and Christopher Selser. The Navajo Weaving Tradition 1650 to the Present

TAGS: textiles, Navajo Nation, Navajo Textiles, Pueblo Textiles