Navajo Made? Is this a rug?

Is this Navajo or Native American made? Blanket or rug? I believe it is a rug but not sure. Has some moth holes and looks old. Simple design. Thanks.

 

It appears to have fringe, or the remnants of fringe on both ends. If so, it isn't Navajo. Or Native American, since the Navajo are the only tribe that weaves this type of item.

And Navajo textiles cannot be woven with fringe on both ends because of the unique loom and weaving technique used.

This also appears to be hanging with the warp parallel to the floor, rather than hanging the usual way, like it is woven, with the warp perpendicular to the floor.

In any event, most Navajo rugs (the only thing they have woven since the late 1800s) have four selvage sides, rather than fringe. The only exception is a Gallup Throw, which is woven so that it has fringe on one end only.

Germantown weavings, and Sunday saddle blankets are also mentioned as having fringe, but what isn't mentioned is that the fringe is added on for decoration, after the textile is finished and taken off the loom.

The rule to remember is that it is physically impossible to weave a rug with fringe on both ends on a Navajo loom.

 

Thank you! It does look like it was cut and I cannot see remnants of fringe. Maybe to fit in the frame?

 

Either way if it's a rug, I'm not too enthusiastic about it because it's most likely post 1900 and made for the tourist trade or to be put on the ground. I thought I'd ask because the designs aren't typical of rugs I've seen and they are more frequent in blankets.

 

someone framed it...to protect it.....
while it's not NA.....it's worth further investigation....imo.

 

Or they thought it looked nicer framed... Owner told me it was framed awhile ago and hasn't come out since. I've seen people to careless things.

I had a specialist in native american artifacts look at it. He said he's unsure if its NA but its indigenous for sure.

 

The colors, the fine weave, and the small design elements in the stripes remind me of Aymara textiles from Bolivia. Perhaps part of a poncho or shawl. It might be helpful to know the size, and the fibers. Aymara textiles would be of camelid wool (alpaca/llama).

 

the white warp fibers look like wool..

 

If it was cut to fit in the frame, that pretty much prevents it being of anything other than "decorative" value.

Is that a seam going across about in the middle? Where the white warp is showing through?

It's been determined not to be Native American. That would be just another reason to put on the list. Plus the fact that if it were a blanket, this is not a combination of colors used by the Navajo when they were making blankets. They wouldn't put in that line of white accent in the solid stripe, as was pointed out.

Blankets or robes were also lighter weight than rugs. Keep in mind that because of the type of loom the rest of the world uses, blanket-weight textiles continued to be made in other countries long after the Navajo switched to rugs.