Navajo (Diné). Saddle Blanket, 1860-1870. Wool, 132.1 x 91.4 cm. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1979.206.1036. CC-BY (Photo: Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Navajo (Diné). Blanket or Rug, 1910-1920. Wool, 237.5 x 149.2 cm. The Art Institute of Chicago, 2005.443. CC-BY (Photo: Art Institute Chicago)
Portrait of Tom Ganado with blanket and squash blossom necklace, 1906. Photograph, 15.24 x 17.78 cm. National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution, NAA INV 03271600, Photo Lot 59.
Ruth Benally and Elvira Horseherder (Navajo) at loom, 2002. Photograph. Gary Auerbach portraits of Native American people, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution, Photo Lot 2004-13.
Description
Navajo blankets are carefully constructed textiles that embody a cultural appreciation for craftsmanship, innovation and individuality. Weaving is an important aspect of Navajo or Diné society and spirituality. Communities banded together to raise sheep and women took to the forefront as weavers. In Navajo legend, Spider-Man taught the Navajo how to create the loom out of their surroundings, and Spider-Woman (the first to weave the web of the universe) taught them the beauty of weaving. Under this guidance, Navajo weavings are remarkably created without preliminary sketches or outlines, each design is extremely personal to the creator.
The main distinctions of Navajo blankets are Serapes (shoulder blankets), Saddle blankets and Chief’s blankets. Chief’s blankets are the finest and most expensive Navajo textiles. Although the Navajo do not have chief distinctions in their culture, these blankets were named because only someone wealthy such as a chief could afford one. Chief’s blankets were highly prized and often traded with settlers or other tribes where they were to be used in ceremonies. When worn in the traditional manner – draped over the back- Serape and Chief’s blankets emphasize the strength of the wearer, presenting them as an idealized being. Styles and patterns in Navajo weaving evolved over time as they were always dependent on the resources available. Early Navajo blankets were limited to the natural colour palette of the wool and used more simplistic banded patterns. As synthetic dyes were invented and trade with settlers became more common, Navajo blankets began demonstrating their more iconic colours and bold graphic patterns. Today Navajo blankets are widely recognized for beauty, quality and resilience.
Details
Appropriation and Influence

ASOS Aztec & Navajo Line, 2012

Urban Outfitters Navajo Line, 2011

Siki Im Fall/Winter, 2011
References
Kahlenberg, Mary. “The Navajo Blanket.” Craft Horizons (Archive: 1941-1978), 32, no. 3 (1972): 30-39.
Parezo, Nancy J. “The Southwest.” In Berg Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion: The United States and Canada, edited by Phyllis G. Tortora, 424–436. Oxford: Bloomsbury Academic, 2010.
Whitaker, Kathleen. “Art from the Navajo Loom: The William Randolph Hearst Collection.” African Arts 22, no. 2 (1989): 98-99.