What Were the Navajo Rugs Made From?
What Were the Navajo Rug’s Materials? There are a number of possible answers to this question. Moki Serape, Hand-dyed yarn, and Continuous warp are all possibilities. Let’s explore them further. Which one best describes you? And which one will you love the most? Here are some examples. Read on to find out more about these beautiful and unique rugs!
Moki Serape
Navajo rugs are the result of a centuries-old weaving tradition. Moki Serapes were made with alternating blue-brown stripes and motifs. The term “sarape” refers to the Spanish word for a blanket. Historically, Navajos used three types of serapes: the Moqui, the Eyedazzler, and the Pueblo. Each design incorporates several aspects of Navajo textiles. Its distinctive pattern combines a Moki design with a Navajo signature, such as the wide, banded stripes.
Germantown yarn
Navajo rug weaving began in the late 1800s when non-Native Americans first began using these blankets for floor coverings and bedspreads. The Navajo people, who were nomads, learned to weave with domestic cotton and developed a pattern that was similar to the borders found on Asian carpets. This inspired the weavers to incorporate borders into their rugs in an effort to make their work more marketable.
Hand-dyed yarn
The weft thread is the horizontal thread that passes over the warps and forms the face of the rugs. The weft is a natural material that has no medulla. It comes from sheep, which produce very small amounts of kemp and hair. In some types of weaving, the weft thread is more sinuous than the warp, which creates the hourglass-shaped patterns that are found in Navajo Rugs.
Continuous warp
When weaving Navajo rugs, the warp string runs vertically, as opposed to horizontally, as in many Mexican-made copies. To tell whether a rug has a continuous warp, run your hand along its side. It should be continuous, otherwise, you could end up with a rug with cut threads that are difficult to see. Here are some tips to help you spot a continuous warp:
Navajo rug design concept by J.B. Moore
Inspired by the designs in the 1903 and 1911 catalogs of the Crystal Trading Post, Navajo rug designer J.B. Moore created a rug with a tri-color zigzag border and large double-serrated concentric diamonds. The rug was designed to be worn as a dress, and this is evident from its geometric pattern and zigzag border.
