Ray Manley's The Fine Art of Navajo Weaving [SOLD]

From the Preface

In 1948 I was allowed to accompany Indian art dealer, Clay Lockett, on a buying trip into the Navajo and Hopi Reservations. When I saw him down on his hands and knees inspecting rugs for “lazy lines” and other characteristics, I realized that all Navajo weavings were not just saddle blankets. Some were used for floor coverings but some were works of art to be hung on the best wall in the house. 

Since that time, I have used weavers as colorful foregrounds for my scenic pictures and occasionally would buy a rug that caught my eye. It was not until I met an Indian art dealer named Steve Getzwiller that I began to realize what was happening in the Navajo weaving world. I had heard that young girls were not learning to weave and the older ones would soon be gone and the art would disappear. This misinformation was soon dispelled as the friendship between Steve and myself grew. The rugs that Steve brought into the studio improved in quality over the years and I soon learned that Steve was very much responsible for encouraging a segment of weavers to do better work. He was even supplying wool dyed by expert Navajo ladies to some of the superior weavers, suggesting new color combinations, and encouraging weavers of a specific type to use their skill in weaving rugs formerly associated with other areas. This increased their incomes considerably. The results have been outstanding, and many weavers respect Steve's help in increasing the value of their art. As a result, many of the younger Navajo girls are becoming interested in the art. 

Steve counters the accepted belief that “Navajo weaving is dying out” by saying “The art of weaving is at an all-time high. Never have such fine examples been woven, and the future for superior weaving is very bright.” Though this book glosses over the history and the development of weaving, it does emphasize the quality and importance of contemporary weaving. I have seen a great number of fine rugs during the last few years and am probably more enthusiastic about what is happening now than with those associated with the earlier weavings. I am “hooked” on Navajo weaving and within my means am an avid collector of the finest “rugs” I can obtain. When a top rug emerges, something within me creates a feeling of desire that is irresistible. 

I will always feel it was a lucky break for me when Steve helped me locate a number of aging Navajos for my book “The Vanishing Indian” a portfolio attesting to their hardship and character. 

[Ray Manley]