6 Most Popular Types of Navajo Rug Designs

The beauty and craftsmanship of Navajo rugs are unmatched. Even though the Navajo people learned the art of weaving from the neighboring Pueblo, over time, they developed their own distinctive styles and patterns. The Navajo women, who are the primary weavers, expanded the designs beyond the traditional stripes and colors and transformed them into today’s popular styles such as Crystal and Ganado Navajo rugs. Since the beginning of 1920, the different types of rugs came to be associated with the region in which the unique pattern was first conceived or their specific influences. Here are some of them:

1. Crystal

The crystal design originated in the 1930s and underwent many changes over the years. Contemporary crystal rugs are borderless and have horizontal rows of geometric patterns, with each row separated by a wavy line. Crystal Navajo rugs are one of the most popular rug styles today.

2. Ganado

It was in the late 1800s that the Ganado style of rugs was first established by a trader named Lorenzo Hubbell. This style consists of unique motifs of diamonds and triangles that are embellished. Red is a dominant color, with it being used for the background. The designs are usually in black, gray or ivory.

3. Toadlena/ Two Grey Hills

Traders George Bloomfield and Ed Davis began this style in around 1914 at the Toadlena and Two Grey Hills tradeposts. Characterized by heavy use of colors like tan, brown, white and black, these rugs rarely use bright hues. The design consists of a central diamond and intricate patterns around it.

4. Chinle

This rug style gets its name from the town of Chinle, which is located near Canyon de Chelly. Developed by Mary Cabot Wheelwright and Cozy McSparron, this style began as a revival of the classic designs. The rugs mostly come in sober colors like muted greens and pinks. They contain designs like Squash Blossoms and Chevrons.

5. Teec Nos Pos

The Teec Nos Pos style of Navajo rugs display the considerable influence of oriental designs, with the wide use of oriental motifs at the borders. The centers are usually intricate and made up of diamonds and triangles along with artful interpretations of arrows and feathers.

6. Klagetoh

Klagetoh is another region in the Navajo Reservation. The name “Klagetoh” means hidden springs. This style of rugs has some similarities with Ganado but instead of red backgrounds, they make use of gray. Owing to the similar characteristics, some experts consider it to be a sub-category of Ganado.

These are only some of the many beautiful types of rugs that Navajo weavers create.

Author’s Bio: The Author is a blogger. This article is about the types of Navajo rugs.

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jasminmaclean14 Joined: January 17th, 2019