Posted 9 years ago
lambertkh
(39 items)
Wool possible double saddle Navajo blanket. I don't think the blanket is terribly old. If anyone has more knowledge about authenticating a genuine Navajo rug and a possible date would be great as I am unsure. I think it is Navajo but anyone with more information I would really appreciate it. Thanks very much.
First, Navajo rugs are woven on an upright loom, with a continuous warp, which means they cannot be woven with fringe on both ends.
The fringe, however, can be woven back into the body of the rug, or bound off, or hidden, to make a non Indian-made rug look like a Navajo rug. If fringe is woven back, there will be a slight variation in the texture or the last inch or two of the ends of the rug, where each weft stitch will be covering two warps, instead of one. If it is bound off, it will be wrapped with yarn or a cloth edging, or finished with the thick twisted cords. That may be the case here, which would require a hands-on examination to determine for sure.
Carefully separate the outer weft threads on the long edge of the rug to reveal the underlying outside warp thread. If it is a "bundle" of threads, or a thicker yarn than the rest of the warp threads, the rug is not Navajo.
A double saddle blanket would be in the roughly 30"-34" x 60"-65" range. You don't give the dimensions, but the proportions do seem right, if the size is.
Hello and thanks very much for all of the invaluable information. Appreciate it. Best in the New Year.