Cleveland Museum of Art

Wearing Blanket

Date

c. 1875–80

Medium

Wool (handspun, Germantown, and bayeta): tapestry weave

Culture

America, Native North American, Southwest, Navajo (Dine), female artist

Department

Textiles

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Diné (Navajo) artists wove geometric designs that reference the natural environment as well as embody spiritual insights and meanings. Specific patterns were inherited but also evolved over time. This blanket was created during the late 1800s, when weavers in the Southwest began to shift from making garments for Indigenous use, including trade, to additionally create items for non-Native collectors. In this new market, traditional wearing blankets, which were worn around the shoulders, were purchased as rugs.

The authoritative record is held by Cleveland Museum of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.