Posted 10 years ago
swiftsellit
(2 items)
I saw these two woven pieces at an estate sale and couldn't resist buying them even though they both have some spots and the one with the corn people has a repair. I paid a hundred for both. The people one measures 40" x 26" and the striped one measures 40" x 20". They seem to be good quality and are very tightly woven. Can anyone tell me anything at all about their tribal origin or age? And how does one learn how to identify good quality Native American woven products? Thanks so much for your help.
First thing to learn is, authenticity is determined by how it is woven, not by the design. If it is woven with fringes on both ends, it cannot be a Navajo weaving. The Navajo are the only Native American tribe that weave rugs, and they use a unique type of upright loom with a continuous warp, which makes fringes on the ends impossible. The rest of the world uses a horizontal loom, and it will be warped in such a way that fringes can result.
Second, the fringe can be woven back into the body of the rug, or bound off, or hidden...to make it look like a Navajo rug. So just because a rug doesn't look like it has fringes, doesn't necessarily mean that it is Navajo. It could be a cheap Mexican import designed to look like a Navajo rug.
But if it does have fringes on both ends, it is definitely not Navajo or Native American Indian. Your rug with the fringe is Chimayo, and it is Hispanic, from New Mexico, woven by descendants of the early Spanish who settled the area. It is considered part of the Spanish Colonial Art heritage of northern New Mexico. Woven on a horizontal floor loom, probably not more than 20 years old.
The other rug is a Navajo Yei pattern. (The Yei are spiritual figures in the Navajo religion, but the rugs are not connected with the religion at all.) Unfortunately, it is probably the most-often copied Navajo design, and more fake Yei patterns are made in Mexico than anything else. This looks okay, however, but you need to see a close up of the corner, and of the edge of the rug, to be positive. The thing you don't want to see is a thick, single, twisted or braided piece of yarn. That's a sure sign of a fake. Also,the outside warp thread should be the same thickness as the rest of the rug. If it's made up of a bundle of 3 or more warps, or there is an obvious ridge along the edge, it isn't Navajo.
Thanks to you I know more than I ever did about Navajo weaving! Everything makes sense now. I appreciate your time! Abby