Chief-Style Blanket, Second Phase Variant

On this blanket, linear designs in a range of colors float over a red ground. The massive red bands balance against thinner stripes in creamy white and dark brown, a pattern sometimes called a chief’s blanket. This term, however, is based on a historical misunderstanding about the use of these blankets among Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains earlier in the 19th century. Rather than marking rank, these textiles furnished Native peoples beyond the Southwest with warm outerwear, striking designs, and a sense of the unfamiliar that is often associated with luxury items from distant places of origin. The green yarns here help date this blanket to the late 19th century, an era when Diné weavers continued experimenting with this long-running style.