Art Institute of Chicago

Blanket

Navajo (Diné)

Date

1880s/90s

Medium

Cotton and wool, single interlocking tapestry weave; twined selvages and heading, overcast finish terminating in tassels

Culture

Navajo

Department

Textiles

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

Brillant color and bold overall patterns with serrated diamonds, chevrons, and interlocking lines are hallmarks of the "Eye Dazzler" style of Navajo (Diné) textiles produced from the late-19th to the early-20th century. Earlier Navajo blankets featured broad horizontal bands of indigo blue, white, dark brown, black, and red, subsequently enhanced with the addition of small diamonds, bars, and squares. The lively approach of Eye Dazzler weaving developed out of a period of major cultural and artistic transformation beginning in 1864 when the U.S. government forcefully resettled the Navajo in the Bosque Redondo reservation. From the early 1860s, the Navajo received brightly colored commercial yarns as part of their U.S. government annuities. The new Eye Dazzler weaving also incorporated design elements characteristic of Mexican Saltillo blankets, which featured serrated diamonds and zigzag lines. The creator of this blanket fully utilized the intense color of commercially dyed yarns and the Saltillo style to create a spectacular work. Internlocking serrated undulating lines appear to vibrate over the entire surface. The vivid interplay of red and orange hues with brillant blues, greens, yellow, white, and black produces an energetic, three-dimensional illusion. Gallery lable, December 2012

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