(1298-03) Navajo Rug, 50"x65" Colorful Germantown Eyedazzler circa 1890
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Navajo Rug, 50"x65" Colorful Germantown Eyedazzler
Circa 1890
Germantown Wool Trade Yarns
50 x 65 inches
A particularly fine Germantown blanket with striking colors in eyedazzler motifs and rarely seen yellow border. Minor wear, but overall in excellent condition. A very artistic statement. More photos on file and available upon request.
In the early reservation period (1868-1900) the Navajo were able to supplement their hand spun wool yarns with various trade yarns such as those made in Germantown, PA. The yarn was shipped via rail to the trading posts in Arizona and New Mexico and then traded or sold to the weavers on the reservation. Germantown Yarns were used as the weft of the blanket with the earlier Germantown trade yarns (1870-1874) being 3-ply, and the later yarns (1875-1910) were 4-ply yarns. In rare cases, the plies were taken apart and the very fine yarn was used. Of fine quality and with bright color, the Germantown yarns yielded some of the most skillful and dazzling blankets of the late 19th century.
That most Germantown blankets (circa 1870-1910) were woven on a cotton warp foundation, the majority were lost to damage, and relatively few have survived. The combination of rarity, fine weave, and vivid design have made Navajo Germantown Blankets a highly sought-after item to the collectors market.
1298-03