Navajo, Southwest
1890
Commercially spun and dyed wool (Germantown yarn) Height 51 inches (129.5 cm); width 37 inches (94 cm)
Provenance: James and Marlene Henderson, Los Angeles, California
Germantown weavings take their name from the commercially spun and dyed wool yarns produced at mills in Germantown, Pennsylvania, which reached Navajo weavers via railroad and reservation trading posts beginning around 1870 to 1875. The introduction of these yarns, available in a range of colors previously inaccessible to Navajo weavers, produced a distinctive period in the weaving tradition marked by bold, high-contrast geometric designs that stand apart from the earlier tradition of natural and vegetal-dyed homespun weaving.
This example dates to 1890, when four-ply Germantown yarn had become the standard among Navajo weavers working in the commercial trade idiom. The tightly woven construction and clarity of the geometric program reflect the technical confidence of a weaver fully at home with the commercial yarn palette. Named provenance from the Henderson collection in Los Angeles provides a documented collecting history for the piece.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Navajo, Southwest
1890
Commercially spun and dyed wool (Germantown yarn) Height 51 inches (129.5 cm); width 37 inches (94 cm)
Provenance: James and Marlene Henderson, Los Angeles, California
Germantown weavings take their name from the commercially spun and dyed wool yarns produced at mills in Germantown, Pennsylvania, which reached Navajo weavers via railroad and reservation trading posts beginning around 1870 to 1875. The introduction of these yarns, available in a range of colors previously inaccessible to Navajo weavers, produced a distinctive period in the weaving tradition marked by bold, high-contrast geometric designs that stand apart from the earlier tradition of natural and vegetal-dyed homespun weaving.
This example dates to 1890, when four-ply Germantown yarn had become the standard among Navajo weavers working in the commercial trade idiom. The tightly woven construction and clarity of the geometric program reflect the technical confidence of a weaver fully at home with the commercial yarn palette. Named provenance from the Henderson collection in Los Angeles provides a documented collecting history for the piece.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
