Main Types of Pueblo Woolen Textiles, Leaflets Nos. 94 and 95

Native American Tapestries Of The Navajo

WE-4 The Hennan Collection tapestry pictured below is a superb example of fine art in weaving. It was acquired from the prestigious George Berlandt Collection. Weaver unknown. - ARIZONA PHOTOGRAPHIC ASSOCIATES Five hundred years ago the then known world was without cotton. Until the discovery of America textiles were made with many different kinds of materials. Europe and Africa were flax and wool continents. Asia utilized wool and of course silk. Garments and other materials were also made from other fibers but cotton was unknown. The prehistoric peoples of the New World clothed themselves in animal skins or in cloth made and woven from the bark of trees as well as from the wool of the wild mountain sheep, or of the llama and alpaca which they raised. In North America cotton was grown by the aboriginal people and from it they wove all kinds of wearing apparel. The renowned Indian civilizations of the American Southwest, Mexico and Central America produced superb garments, blankets, decorative arts and other materials woven from native cotton. In South America the natives of the West Coast wove some of the finest textiles from llama and alpaca wool. Their work takes its rightful place among the world's greatest productions of art from the loom. In the American Southwest, in prehistoric times, the Pueblo Indians in the valley of the Rio Grande of New Mexico and of the mesas of Arizona planted and irrigated cotton fields.

For hundreds of years before the coming of the Spanish they wove and made superb useful things from cotton. When the Navajo Indian people migrated into the Southwest they learned weaving from the agricultural Pueblo Indians. They became outstanding weavers and by the time the Spanish introduced sheep and other domesticated animals they soon became masters of the craft. In the areas they occupied in what is now New Mexico and Arizona they became herdsmen. They adapted their pastoral nomadic way of life to the raising of sheep. Their flocks wandered throughout what is today known as the Navajo country. The high skills they developed from weaving cotton for hundreds of years they now transformed to the working and weaving of wool. Garments were woven as were blankets, rugs, sashes, bridles and hangings. They became masters of dyeing the wool, using both the old vegetal method as well as the new chemical. They utilized traditional designs and colors, creating textile styles that were new and different in the development of weaving in the American Southwest. By the turn of the 20th Century Navajo weaving had become so famous throughout the United States that collectors and museums sought examples for their collections. Tourists bought the more commercial pieces but the finer works were sought by the connoisseurs of weaving. Thus the Navajo Indians created what might be called the first native tapestries in the United States. Charles Avery Amsden, Curator of the Southwest Museum for many years, was the recognized authority on Navajo weaving. His masterful work entitled "Navaho Weaving: Its Technic and Its History," is the great authority on the subject. It was originally published in 1934 and has been reprinted and acclaimed ever since. The Navajo shepherds and their flocks of sheep have had many vicissitudes throughout the years, as have had the Navajo weavers. Many great examples of their weaving left the Navajo reservation. Economic, social and political problems plagued the Navajo people. Throughout their struggles for survival they retained their great character and philosophy and continued to practice their many skills, particularly in jewelry making, blanket and rug weaving. Now a new generation of alert, hard working, intelligent Navajo people are developing their vast reservation, studying their ancient customs preserving their traditional arts. They deserve the understanding and cooperation of all for they have set great goals for their people. The Southwest Museum has always appreciated the Navajo people and their extraordinary culture. In a practical effort to assist them the Museum is working with the Navajo Community College in Tsaile, Arizona. The fine pieces of weaving in the Museum's great collection of Navajo blankets and rugs are being photographed and analyzed for the Navajo Community College so that they might be better utilized for serious study and inspiration in the creation of new styles of weaving. Today as never before Navajo weaving is being appreciated and sought after by everyone interested in textile art. There is a renaissance of weaving on the Navajo reservation. Skilled artisans and artists are creating textiles of great beauty and significance. This ancient art which was almost lost now enjoys a healthy, inspiring revival. These magnificent woven creations with their superb colors, fascinating designs and enchanting presence, are indeed worthy of the designation unique Native American Tapestries.