What Store Sells Navajo Indian Rugs Machine Made?
There is a vast array of choices available when buying a Navajo Indian rug, so how do you decide what colors to choose? Where can you purchase these pieces? Here are some tips. And don’t forget to check out our guide on how to buy Navajo Indian Rugs. These handmade rugs are a true treasure. And you can make sure that they are authentic, too, by learning about the process behind their creation.
Navajo Indian Rugs
During the winter, Navajo Indians should have been making rugs and jewelry, but that did not happen this year. The Navajos are now selling these items at a record-high price, thanks to a new plan to improve their economy. The increase in work is credited to the headman of the Navajo tribe, Peter McDonald. McDonald, who has been in office for about two years, has been trying to reduce the 65 percent unemployment rate among the Navajo tribe. He is also encouraging more of his people to make items to sell off the reservation.
While many rugs are hand-woven, many of today’s Navajo weavers use machine-spun wool yarn, which is usually finer and more even. However, the yarn used in handmade rugs is usually coarser and thicker, which makes them more expensive. While Navajo rugs were traditionally dyed with three vegetal colors, they have since adapted to the use of natural dyes. The development of these natural dyes gave Navajo weavers 84 new colors, including bright red, which had no vegetal equivalent.
Colors of Navajo Indian Rugs
Many contemporary Navajo rugs are machine-made. The machine-spun wool yarn has a more even weave and is less expensive than hand-spun wool. Earlier rugs were woven with three vegetal dyes: saffron, henna, and azure. A weaving teacher developed these colors and developed 84 of them. Modern Navajo rugs are often made with machine spun single ply yarn or Brown Sheep Yarn Co. yarn.
Navajo rugs were made with a distinctive pattern known as a chief blanket. These rugs have two zones of wide black and white bands, which narrow toward the center. These stripes are often geometric in nature. The chief blanket design evolved over time, overlapping in design, and continuing in use until the nineteenth century. Despite the differences in construction, Navajo rugs are known for their rich history and unique aesthetic.
Places to buy Navajo Indian Rugs
While many rugs are machine-made, authentic Navajos are made with hand-woven wool by master weavers. These rugs are handcrafted, with no fringe, and feature a side selvage cord that stands out against the dark background. However, you should be aware that rugs from certain trading post centers may not be recognizable. In order to avoid buying a fake, be sure to research the place of origin of a Navajo rug.
If you are looking for authentic Navajo rugs, try the Hubbell Trading Post in Ganado, Arizona, or Heard Museum in Sedona. You can also visit a collector textile shop like Garland’s near Sedona. There are also several Navajo trading posts scattered across the reservation. Each one is famous for a particular rug pattern. The Hubbell Trading Post was active from 1878 to 1930 and is now a National Historic Site in Ganado.
