Moki style textile, c. 1890 – 1910

Diné [Navajo]

Aniline-dyed and natural-handspun wool and cotton yarns
60 ½ x 76 in.; 68 x 85 in. framed

Navajo textiles were prized and worn by Western and Plains Indian “men of status.” By the mid-1850s, Navajo artists dominated the western weaving trade and by the 1890s their blankets and rugs were being produced for tourism and export.

Women are the weavers in traditional Navajo culture, incorporating recognizable symbols from Diné cosmology into their uniquely designed works. While the diamond is understood to represent the four sacred corners of the Dinétah or Navajo homeland, the stacked triangle motif is often interpreted as a series of prayer feathers or songs and the red-tipped crosses are representations of the Spider Woman, a powerful teacher and protector who taught Navajo women to weave. The Moki style is recognizable by its striped pattern that alternates between dark blue and black or brown rhythmic banding.

Contemporary artists like Donald Judd, Dan Flavin, Jasper Johns, Agnes Martin, and Frank Stella were avid collectors of Navajo textiles, and Diné design elements can often be found in their work.

More information about Navajo blankets and rugs can be found here:

https://www.nermanmuseum.org/exhibitions/1994-11-06-navajo-textiles-1840-1910.html

https://www.navajorug.com/pages/moki-navajo-rugs