Navajo Late Classic child's blanket
woven out of ravelled red, Germantown red, and handspun natural and indigo-dyed wools.
Circa 1875-1885 Excellent condition
32" wide x 48 5/8" long
Please contact us for the price.
After their release from Bosque Redondo, the surviving Navajos returned to their lands. They resumed weaving blankets that are now known as "Late Classic" because of the modifications to their traditional designs.
As in the case of this blanket, Late Classic designs continued the banded and open designs of earlier wearing blankets. However, the wrenching experience and resulting upheaval began to show in the details of the design and in the materials that were used. Proportions change, as do the wools. The weaver of this blanket used ravelled (probably cochineal-dyed) red wool along with the newly available 4-ply synthetically-dyed wool from Germantown, PA that would have been made available to her by the trader. She also used some handspun natural and indigo-dyed wools.
The small-size and serape-style of this blanket has come to be called a "child's blanket" even though there is no photographic or written evidence that children wore these. Perhaps they were woven for small teens and adults.
This blanket is finely woven and well-preserved.
Marcy Burns American Indian Arts, LLC
525 East 72nd Street, Suite 26G
New York, New York 10021
(by appointment only)
