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Transitional Weaving

Culture
Diné (Navajo) artist
Date
c.1890
Material
Wool and dye
made in
United States, North and Central America
Classification
Coverings & hangings, textiles
Collection
Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
Current Location
Not on view
Dimensions
with fringe: 70 x 48 in. (177.8 x 121.9 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Elissa and Paul Cahn
Rights
Public Domain
Object Number
252:2017
NOTES
The design and colors of this work relate to a revivalist period in Diné weaving. In particular, the use of red and prevalence of large crosses on the solid white ground call up the artistic conventions favored at the Hubbell Trading Post, a major business in the textile industry associated with the Navajo reservation.

In the 1890s, some observers started to fear that new wholesale markets encouraged weavers to prioritize volume and vibrant colors over design and technique. Managers at Hubbell and other large buyers developed their own standards for Diné textiles and encouraged weavers to follow their principles.

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