Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability

CAS Anthropology Collections Database


Catalog Number

CAS 2013-0003-0033   CAS 2013-0003-0033; Rug
Category Textiles
Object Name Rug
Culture Navajo
Global Region North America
Country USA
State/Prov./Dist. Arizona
County
Other Geographic Data Navajo Indian Reservation
Maker's Name Helena Begay
Date of Manufacture ca. 1980s
Collection Name Donaldson
Materials Warp: Cotton string; Weft: Singly ply commercial wool yarn; Aniline dyes
Description Small nearly square rug woven entirely in plain weft-faced tapestry technique with non-interlocking joins; Pictorial design depicts a typical Navajo family scene, with an earth-covered log hogan in the center,and a pickup truck on one side and a blue blanket hanging from a hitching post on the other side; A woman herds 5 white sheep in the foreground, while two red and white cows graze in the background; In the more distant background are a series of flat-topped mesas leading into a canyon, with two white clouds overhead in a pale gray sky; Entire scene is woven on a gray-brown background; Black border frames rug along all four edges; Border is straight-edged along top and bottom, but serrated along both sides; Rug does not have selvage cords; End cords are white.
Dimensions (cm) Width = 41.0, Length = 38.5