Modern Navajo Weaving

BY: Clara Lee Tanner

Navajo weaving is a craft art which is well over two hundred and fifty years of age. For about two hundred years the weaver provided her tribesmen and a few other Indians with their wearing apparel and blankets. As traders and trains brought materials for garments, then ready-made clothing, it was no longer necessary for Navajos to weave for such purposes. A gradual transition converted their blankets to rugs.

During the long years before the twentieth century, the weaver, with rare exceptions, produced very much the same textile, no matter where she lived on the vast 16,000 acre Reservation. Striped "dougies" were everywhere woven and worn as shoulder pieces. The woman's dress always had a black center and a broad red border at top and bottom, wherever it was made. Equally wide-spread were the broader-striped robes for men's wear, and those with narrower stripes for women, both with edge to edge patterns.

When the Navajo woman started to weave, it is probable that most of her loom products were plain. It was not long, however, before edge to edge stripes and bands in natural colored yarns became popular. About 1800, bayeta wool was introduced to the Navajos; the bright red tones of this English manufactured cloth gave the design-conscious Navajos further inspiration to express themselves. So too did imported indigo dye.

By 1850 the Navajo weaver was out-designing her pueblo teacher. Traditional stripes were supplemented with geometric themes between them, with the result, in some cases, of all-over patterning. The Navajo weaver had tested her stride; she was ready and willing to experi ment further in many new materials, colors, and designs.

Lukachukai, Greasewood

The 1850-1900 period was rife with beauty and gaiety in Navajo weaving. First came the peak in Classic expressions, with blankets in rich and rewarding combinations of native and natural colored wools plus reserved touches of color in commercial yarns. Superb spinning and weaving were complemented by designs which featured creativity, simplicity, and taste. Edge to edge layouts persisted.

Then came a real burst of commercial influence. As trading posts were established over the Navajo Reservation in the 1870's, they brought to the Indian a rainbow array of colors and aniline dyes. Now there was nothing to stop the weaver. Sophistication was thrown to the winds. Some Navajo women enjoyed a short-lived design spree which satisfied them for years to come. Massive patterns replaced smaller ones, with great end to end diamonds and zigzags favored over edge to edge stripes and smaller geometric themes.

Life designs were introduced into Navajo weaving at this time also, and a single blanket might be ornamented with figures of birds, humans, cows, and trains . . . or whatever struck the fancy of the woman. Too, there was no limit to the number of colors which might be used in a single piece of weaving.

Reactions to the almost-violent colors and designs set in toward the end of the nineteenth century. It was inaugurated by several important changes: one, a shift from a light weight and thin blanket to a thick and heavy rug; and two, an all-around border. Perhaps the latter was felt necessary by the Navajo weaver, to confine the dynamic patterns which veritably spilled out to the ends of the blanket.

Dull years followed, roughly from 1900 to 1910. Almost all color was abandoned except the natural wool browns, black (dyed), white, and the grays made by carding black and white together. Navajos are too exuberant to be held down for long so this "gray" period, as it might be called, served as a breather, a transition to further creativity in the art of weaving.

From 1910 on the Navajo weaver cautiously ventured into new fields of color and design styles. In part they borrowed from the past, often drawing on the best in early design styles. In part they went their own creative way. In part, too, the White man played a role in this story. With increased concentration of life around the trading post and growing trader-interest, the inevitable happened... regional styles of Navajo weaving evolved through the ensuing years. The transition to styles with a distinctive local flavor occurred gradually and without fanfare. Some of the old styles persisted side by side with the new, a trend still apparent to this day. For example, saddle blankets are made from east to west on the Navajo Reservation. It is the only piece made by these weavers for their own tribes-men through the years.

Throughout post-1910 years there has been variation in both quality and quantity of rug production. Fine as they were, no Classic blanket equals the best of contemporary Two Gray Hills weaving in quality of thread, tightness of weave, and thinness of the piece. Quantity of production has greatly decreased within the past fifteen years, yet there were healthy signs of continuation of the craft at the 1963 Gallup Indian Ceremonial exhibits. A few general remarks will be pertinent to the discussion of regional types of Navajo weaving. First, all Navajo weaving is done in the so-called "tapestry" technique. This means that the active or weft yarns are battened or pushed down with a wooden comb or broad stick so as to conceal the stationary or warp threads. Plain tapestry, which is used in the vast majority of Navajo loom products, is a simple alternation of one weft over one then under one warp throughout the entire fabric. Variations in this weave are found primarily in the Navajo saddle blanket. Generally these are "twill" tapestry weaves, and are characterized by such alternations as One weft over three warps then under one, or two wefts over two warps then under two, again either rhythm maintained throughout the textile. These or other variations may result in diamonds, zigzags, or other geometric motifs in the weave itself. Use of color emphasizes the technique-produced design.

A NAVAJO SKETCH BOOK

Tapestry weave, both plain and fancy, allows wide variety in design, for colors (yarns) can be changed at any point in the fabric. Perhaps this is why it was favored by the Navajo to the practical exclusion of all other techniques.

Today there is great variation in the preparation of materials, in the fineness or coarseness of spinning, or the care with which the dyeing is done. The gamut is run in quality, from very coarse to the finest ever produced in the history of the craft. Native and commercial wools are to be found in rugs today, and the shades of the natural wool and commercial yarns, and of aniline and native dyed threads, offer endless variety in color. Thus materials, quality in weave, and colors, plus distinct originality in designs, combine to produce the recent and contemporary Navajo regional style rug.

Some authorities give a lengthy list of regional types of Navajo weaving. However, as it seems more logical to relate this development strictly to geographic location, fewer such divisions will be presented in the following discussion. Limited subdivisions of style will be made within several such areas. Further, some mention will be made of the old styles which have persisted side by side with regional rugs.

For the sake of brevity, but with all major regional styles included, the following areas will be discussed: Gallup, Crystal, Two Gray Hills, Teec Nos Pos, Farmington-Shiprock, Lukachukai-Greasewood, Chinle, Wide Ruins, Ganado, Kayenta, Tuba City, and the Western Reservation. Comment will be made on the following styles not related to any limited locale: saddle blankets, two-faced rugs, chief blankets, pictorial, and ceremonial styles.

The Gallup area presents, perhaps, two of the least interesting of all regional styles, runners and small “commercial type” rugs. The runners or throws are narrower in comparison to their length than almost any other Navajo piece. Generally they have a cotton warp, they are coarsely woven, and they have simple designs. Spotty patterning is common; decorative themes are varied in size but balanced and evenly distributed over the textile. Black, white, gray, and red are used in both Gallup type rugs. The commercial piece has no particular merit in terms of design, and it is coarsely and roughly woven.

Perhaps the oldest of the regional styles of Navajo weaving was the Crystal type. Before the turn of the century one trader at this post became interested in bettering the changing craft: J. B. Moore actually gave new designs to the Indian women living in this area and encouraged them to better prepare their materials. The end result was an early type Crystal rug. Gray or light grounds predominate, or there might be one ground color for the main and central design area and a second color for the border background. Two borders were common, often with a different color in each, gray, white, red, or brown. Both borders could be plain or decorated; in the latter case, there are, often, small, identical, and repeated geometric elements, joined or separate, as frets, plain or stepped diamonds, or triangles.

Massive simplicity characterizes the design in the center of this early Crystal rug. Basically a diamondshaped theme dominates; sometimes it has smooth or stepped edges, usually with various appendages extending beyond its edges, as hooks, crosses, or a fork-like design. Inside the larger diamond (sometimes a square) are other geometric elements, perhaps another diamond or a large cross with its own projections, or even a swastika. Technically this rug was superior.

All of these features of the early Crystal rug are important, for this style changed its place of residence and became the ancestor of the contemporary Two Gray Hills type. Before the story of the latter is told, the modern Crystal style will be described.

Today the Crystal rug bears no resemblance to the one just discussed. It lacks borders, it features edge to edge patterning, the older colors are supplemented or supplanted by vegetable dyes, and when designs other than stripes or bands are used, they are far simpler than they were in the earlier pieces. Characteristic of the modern Crystal style is a wavy line in some of the bands; this is produced by loosely inserting two or three wefts of different colors, then they are battened down, thus creating the wavy effect.

Dark vegetable dyes are commonly used along with natural wool or aniline colors in the Crystal rug. Blue, green, yellow, rust or reddish-brown, and tan are favored. Between the lines and bands, frequently, are geometric forms, as broad chevrons, wedge-shaped figures, and stepped triangles. A few highly conventionalized life themes appear, as birds. Both geometric and life designs occur in bands. Variety is expressed through subtle color combinations or in outlining a geometric form of one color in a second color.

When the Crystal old-style rug moved into the Two Gray Hills area it received a considerable amount of attention from the weavers of that vicinity. Through the years it has been refined, both technically and artistically. A recently observed piece counted one hundred and ten threads to the inch! Interest in color has centered in natural white, black, and many shades of brown, tan, and gray. Subtle and delicate handling of six different tones of tan were noted in one rug, and the results were rich indeed.

Preoccupation with technical perfection of the rug did not interfere with the development of design in the Two Gray Hills piece. In general there has been a tendency to get away from the heavier and simpler early Crystal style, and to develop greater complexity and delicacy at the same time. Two, three, or more borders appear, with endless variety in handling them, for example, with different shades of background color or different colors in them. One border may be designed, the other plain, or both are plain or designed. Border themes are usually simple and geometric, as a line design or a meander with stepped triangles at the corners of one side. Pattern contrasts in color with background.

It is in the central pattern contained by the borders that the Two Gray Hills weaver expresses her greatest flair for creativity. All of the women of the area follow general layout for design: a central and large theme, lesser motifs in each of the four corners, and usually central-end and central-side motifs. The center design is most often a single or double diamond, and rarely is it simple. It is formed of larger or smaller steps, or is a smooth-edged band, or is outlined by some other geometric form, as solid triangles or other outline figure. There may be projections from the great diamond, in the form of hooks or stepped triangles. Within the dominant figure there is simpler or more elaborate patterning, as another diamond with hooks, triangles, or frets emanating from it. If the outer diamond has a more solid outline, the inner one may be line-outlined. The space between the two motifs may be completely filled, completely empty, or partially filled with a number of scattered and repeated elements.Corner designs in the Two Gray Hills rugs are usually made up of more or less triangular figures with straight sides paralleling the two edges of the blanket and a stepped interior side. Variety in this seemingly simple motif is endless, including triangles with several outlines, solid ones, plain edges or edges with projections. There is also much variation in the handling of color in this corner motif.There is no slavish copying of these themes by Two Gray Hills weavers. No two rugs are ever alike. Some venture a little more than their sisters and change the diamond to a star or convert the corner triangles into squares. Small detail within or attached to the central figure, between end motifs, or inside the corner themes offer endless possibilities for variety.

The fineness of the weave in the Two Gray Hills surpasses that of any other rug. In many instances it is so thin that it is more suitable as a wall hanging than a rug.

Back in the 1890's in the Teec Nos Pos area, there was developed for the first time an ability in outlining designs in rugs with a contrasting color. Some attribute the beauty of this work to the use of fine commercial yarns for the wefts; surely there is a measure of skill necessary to the manipulation of this technique. Much variety occurs in materials: handspun may be coarse or fine, and the amount of commercial wool varies. When more of the commercial yarns appear, the rug is quite gay. Some weavers introduce rather large quantities of red or green or occasional other colors, as yellow. Others limit the brighter tones, utilizing but a spot here and there.

Another characteristic of this Teec Nos Pos rug is a wide and elaborately designed border. Grounds for this may be light or dark, design elements are numerous and usually complex. In one instance, a large eight pointed star in twice-repeated red, white, green, and yellow recurred endlessly throughout the wide border; between stars were two V-shaped figures.

Center designs in the Teec Nos Pos rug are elaborate; they are usually geometric, although in an early example there are two conventional figures of fire gods standing on "wine glass" designs. In all instances, there are many small geometric elements filling the remaining space. The main motifs, including diamonds, crosses, parallelograms, triangles, are commonly oriented in a lateral arrangement. If more centered, then they have extensions which give this feeling.

Color is handled so that large white, light, or sometimes black designs appear on dark grounds. Contrasting or bright colors are then used for smaller triangles, steps, lines, or odd geometric units as arrows and chevrons with triangular ends. In many of these rugs there is little undecorated space. Despite this, and because of the Navajo's innate sense of design, the Teec Nos Pos rug is not as cluttered as this description sounds. Often it is a pleasing creation. Back around the 1900's the first "yei" rug was woven. Navajos conceive of the yeis as intermediaries between man and the gods. They are represented as elongate, straight-bodied figures in the sand-paintings made by this tribe for certain rituals. As they are sacred, the first rugs made with these designs were frowned upon; however, weavers continued to produce them, and today they are among the most popular of Navajo rugs.

lines, or odd geometric units as arrows and chevrons with triangular ends. In many of these rugs there is little undecorated space. Despite this, and because of the Navajo's innate sense of design, the Teec Nos Pos rug is not as cluttered as this description sounds. Often it is a pleasing creation. Back around the 1900's the first "yei" rug was woven. Navajos conceive of the yeis as intermediaries between man and the gods. They are represented as elongate, straight-bodied figures in the sand-paintings made by this tribe for certain rituals. As they are sacred, the first rugs made with these designs were frowned upon; however, weavers continued to produce them, and today they are among the most popular of Navajo rugs.

The Navajo rugs illustrated herein are from the Read Mullan Gallery of Western Art and were photographed for ARIZONA HIGHWAYS by Arizona Photographic Associates. Of the superb rug collection in his Gallery, Mr. Mullan explains: "I have been interested in Navajo blankets and rugs for many years. After seeing many magnificent individual collections of old Navajo rugs, as well as those in museums, I realized that this particular field was very well covered from an artistic as well as an anthropological viewpoint. However, I knew of no instance where the field of Modern Navajo Rugs was being covered. "Much has been written of the artistry which was woven into the old Navajo blankets, but no one has emphasized that the Modern Navajo is weaving a very superior rug, both with regard to fineness of weave as well as color. "My collection was originated with the thought of showing what the Modern Navajo woman could accomplish and what was available on the reservations, if one searched diligently enough and combined this with luck. "Certainly, the rugs from Two Gray Hills, Crystal and other areas, especially those producing rugs of vegetable or native dyes, are producing a superior type of product, comparable with the classic Navajo blankets of yesteryear." Mr. Mullan has recently published an attractive art booklet on his Gallery of Western Art featuring both the Navajo rugs and the Western paintings that are so vivid a part of the Gallery. This art booklet, destined to be a collector's item, can be purchased at Read Mullan Gallery of Western Art, 1550 East Camelback, Phoenix, Arizona 85014. Price $3.00, softbound; $6.00, hardbound, in a limited edition.

A Vibrant, Beautiful Art!

Shiprock was the center of the first yei (pronounced "yea") rugs. In time the idea spread to Greasewood. Today both areas are extended to include Farmington in the former and Lukachukai ("loo-ka-choo-kie") in the latter. For long years the rug woven in the more easterly location had a white ground, while that to the west had a darker background. With better communication among the Navajos today this trait is becoming confused, resulting particularly in some darker grounds in the ShiprockFarmington rug. The white ground yei rug may have a border or not; if not, sometimes it will have the figure of the "rainbow goddess" encircling the row of yeis on three sides. Generally the figures are arranged in a single horizontal row, thus suggesting its use as a wall hanging. This ShiprockFarmington piece is often quite thin, which further speaks for its use as a tapestry. Cotton warps are common in these rugs. As commercial yarns, particularly Germantowns, have been used quite commonly in the Shiprock-Farmington rug, much color is characteristic of them. In one piece there were six yei figures and a cornstalk, the latter in the center. Bright colors were used for the details of dress and paraphernalia carried by the yeis and for the plant; they included pink, green, red, black, purple, white and gray. Quite different is the Greasewood-Lukachukai yei rug style. Most backgrounds are dark brown and gray, immediately imparting a heavier feeling to the piece; some grounds are red and black. Often borders enclose the figures. Material is usually of handspun yarn. A variety of colors such as described for the Farmington type is not characteristic here, but more red is used. One to twelve yeis may appear in a rug, and the multiple figures occur in a single or double row. Rainbow goddesses, cornstalks, and a few other subjects may also appear. Coarser weaving here does not allow for the precise detail which is sometimes found in the Farmington rug. One of the most appealing rugs today is the vegetable dye. Some dyes derived from native plants had been used in earlier years, but there was no exploitation of the potentials in these lines. It was not until the 1900's that Cozy MacSparron and several others urged the weavers of the Chinle area to utilize such sources for dye colors. Further experimentation in ensuing years brought about a vast array of colors from Navajo Reservation plant sources. One authority says there are now at least two hundred and fifty recipes for vegetable dye colors! The colors used in early years at Chinle were limited and not particularly attractive. Dull yellows, olive green, black, and an almost-dirty brown were used. Chinle has extended its color range but generally they remain on the more subdued side. Yellow has been lightened, pink has been added, and a warm gray is popular. Some other pastel shades are also combined with the basic colors. One of the most important changes in designing inNavajo weaving occurred with the development of the Chinle rug. Weavers here were re-introduced to the styles of their ancestors, particularly the Classic type which featured edge to edge stripes and bands with small geometric elements between them. Again these old designs served as inspiration and were not copied. Geometric themes tend to be heavier and are repeated more often in the Chinle rug than they are in the Wide Ruins style. Further, the weaving in the former is coarser than it is in the latter. In general, the Chinle rug tends to be less attractive than the Wide Ruins piece. There are, of course, exceptions to this statement.

Vegetable dye rugs were first woven in the Wide Ruins area in the late 1930's. Fine weavers lived in the near-by Pine Springs section, so it was a “natural” that the women there should be influenced by this development. Today there is quite a wide distribution of the Wide Ruins vegetable rug.

Like its Chinle counterpart, this rug is borderless and features edge to edge patterning. Generally it is made of fine handspun yarn, colors are more varied and far more subtle, and design is simpler and more sophisticated. It is in the ingenious combination of lines, bands, and small geometric elements that these weavers excel. Colors are terrific, and the subtlety of color combinations even more so. Surprisingly beautiful shades of greens, gold, violet and purple, chartreuse, and others appear in sophisticated combinations. Quality of weave is often superior.

One of the more dramatic regional rugs produced by the Navajos is the Ganado style. Because of the predomi-nance of a rich red, it is commonly referred to as “Ganado Red.” Designs are bold and reach out to the borders or ends of the rug. When borders are used they may vary: in one instance, there is a single and plain one, while in another it is double, with the outer border plain and the inner with a simple decorative motif in the corners. Red and/or black commonly appear in these features.

nance of a rich red, it is commonly referred to as “Ganado Red.” Designs are bold and reach out to the borders or ends of the rug. When borders are used they may vary: in one instance, there is a single and plain one, while in another it is double, with the outer border plain and the inner with a simple decorative motif in the corners. Red and/or black commonly appear in these features.

There is a single and usually heavy central motif which dominates the Ganado rug. In one instance it is a huge diamond stretched from end to end; in another, three such figures touch at their tips and fill a comparable space. In both cases red is the predominant color in the diamonds. Another rug shows two massive chevrons with their points touching a central diamond, all in white and all outlined in very broad red bands. Smaller geometric details fill in the remaining space. Because of the massive size of the main motif, the Ganado rug never has the cluttered feeling of some other styles. White fringed lines and outlined smaller designs add to the clean-cut impression this rug emanates.

Several areas of regional styles appear in the Western part of the Reservation. One of these is the Kayenta, in the north. Against a white background is woven a large diamond in gray and aniline black and red; often this diamond theme has a serrated edge. The red is not as rich as that in the Ganado rug. Edge borders are often small repeated steps or like elements, while the ends may be plain, narrow bands. Background between the main motif and the borders is generally undecorated; this also contrasts with the Ganado style, but is generally attractive.

RUG PRODUCING AREAS ON NAVAJO RESERVATION

South of the Kayenta is the Tuba City area. The most important regional style of this vicinity is the Storm rug. Several stories are told relative to this piece; one is that the whole design idea was that of a white man. Others attribute symbolism to the patterns; one version follows. The central square or enclosed area is the center of the earth. From this a zigzag (lightning) emanates to a box or "house of the winds" in each of the four corners. Toward each end and in the center of the rug is a waterbug, and in some of these pieces swastikas may be added. The Storm rug may be simpler or more elaborate in design. Colors in the Storm rug are usually gray (often for the background), white, black, and red. The latter two colors are aniline-derived.Mention should be made of two spots in the Tuba City area where superior weaving is accomplished today, although as yet no special regional styles have evolved. These are Coal Mine Mesa and Coppermine. From the region as a whole come splendid twill weave saddle blankets, two-faced rugs, and "raised outline" pieces. The latter are particularly interesting: one example has a gray and white reverse weave stripe over most of the rug, and the borders are formed of a red triangle with a hooked extension, both having a raised outline. Quite recently several good two-faced rugs (with a different design on each face) have come from this same area, although this type may be woven anywhere on the Reservation.

On the far western part of the Reservation is found improved weaving; this has been particularly true of the past ten to fifteen years. However, this area has not developed any regional style of outstanding nature. Much of the better weaving here features the use of black, white, and gray, with red sometimes added. Rather conventional geometric designs prevail.

As noted above, saddle blankets and two-faced rugs may be woven anywhere on the Reservation. So too may the "Chief's blanket," an old style which is made occasionally today. The latter features a greater width from edge to edge and wide, black (or dark blue) and white horizontal bands which serve as background for further patterning. Diamonds or other geometric elements will be distributed over the rug in unique fashion: in the center the motif is complete, at the center sides and center ends it is halved, and in the four corners it is quartered. Touches of red may be added, usually to the geometric motif.

Another Navajo design style is the pictorial rug. It is not restricted in its production to any one region, although quite a few are woven in the Lukachukai-Greasewood area. Everything from mountains to airplanes may serve as subject matter for these pieces. Cornstalks, sometimes with charming birds or other subjects resting on bent leaves, give opportunity for the use of many, varied, and often bright colors.

The term "ceremonial" has been applied to a category of rugs so named for the subject matter of decoration and not because they have any such use value to the Indian. The famous sandpainter, Klah, made some of the earliest of these rugs. One of the favorite subjects for this rug style is from a sandpainting, the "Whirling Logs." Depicted on the rug are four logs forming a cross, and on each sits a male and a female diety. Often the rainbow goddess surrounds this "scene." A soft tan shade, which simulates sand, serves as background. Details of figures may be in brighter or duller tones as the weaver chooses.

Navajo weaving today, then, is reflective of two general trends, one in which specific styles are typical of distinct locales, and a second in which other styles may appear anywhere on the Reservation. The local or regional style of Navajo rugs currently woven often reflects the highest skill and the finest creativity of the women of this tribe. Modern Navajo weaving is a vibrant, beautiful art!

Klah's Sand Painting Rug-“Shooting Chant”

Hosteen Klah, famed Navajo Medicine Man during the early nineteen hundreds, died in 1938. He was almost fanatical in his belief in the ancient gods and the only Medicine Man knowing the forgotten Hail Chant or Rain Chant.

Klah was the first man to dare the wrath of the gods to weave a ceremonial rug and was sincere in his belief that his medicine would protect him. He later initiated his two nieces into the Yeibitchai ceremony and authorized them to weave ceremonial designs. Over each woman he sang the full nine day chant, invoking the protection of the gods.

Shooting Chant was woven by Klah in the early nineteen twenties. It is from the Nahtohe Baka Ceremony and represents the four holy periods of the day.

At the East is the white dawn, its fringes or feathers of dawn light and the antelope, hawk and bat.

At the South is the blue moon with fringes of heat mirage and two woodpeckers. The yellow sunset is in the West with fringes of sunset, or bluebird and a night hawk. At the North is the black night sky with fringes of northern lights. The Milky Way crosses it.

Other constellations and stars are shown such as the “Rabbit Track” or “Orion,” “Old Man Straddling,” “The Pleiades,” “Big Dipper,” “Female Little Dipper” and the “North Star.

In the center are the four rain storms meshed in the colors of the four winds and the horns of Power. Through them pass the He-Rain, the She-Rain, as well as the right and left-handed cyclones.