Men's Wearing Blanket (Third Phase Chief Style)
c. 1870–1880
Medium
Wool, wedge tapestry weave, bound edges with corner tassels
Dimensions
With tassels: 165.1 × 195.6 cm (65 × 77 in.); Without tassels: 161.3 × 193.7 cm (63 1/2 × 76 1/4 in.)
Classification
blanket (covering)
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
122875
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Horizontal black stripes and bright red diamonds span this men’s wearing blanket. White crosses dotting its edges and center pay homage to Spider Woman (Na’ashjé’ii Asdzą́ą́), the sacred being who gave Navajo people the gift of weaving. Weavers tell Spider Woman stories only in the winter time, when spiders and other insects are at rest. Although Navajo blankets are often displayed flat, they are created to be folded and worn. Fifth-generation Navajo weaver Lynda Teller Pete emphasizes that the...