The Interesting World Of Navajo Chief’s Blankets

A living, breathing reminder of the masterful craftsmanship of the Navajo weavers, Chief’s blankets are coveted the world over for their captivating designs. However, little is known about their history and significance in Navajo art and culture.

In this article, we will cover some of the salient points and the milestones that made Chief’s blankets the collector’s item it is today and the definitive status symbol it was in the 1800s.

Why Are They Called Chief’s Blankets?

These blankets were so expensive that only a chief or someone with high financial or social standing would be seen wearing them, that too on special occasions.

Chief’s blankets didn’t only catch the attention of the military in the 1800s because of their exceptional quality, but also because of the interesting use of colors such as indigo red, jet black, and elegant cochineal reds. There are records to prove that the Navajo people traded in these blankets throughout the Great Plains as well as the Southwest. Eventually, such blankets would always land in the homes of those who were exceptionally wealthy and lived in the plains. Because of this, it soon became an everlasting symbol of power and social status.

Interactions with other cultures, the introduction of different weaving techniques, and the availability of a rainbow of colors are what led to the evolution of the humble Chief’s blanket. This evolution can be studied further through these three phases:

1st Phase - 1700-1840

Functionality and comfort were prioritized in this phase, which can be understood by studying the simple, plain designs that consisted of horizontal stripes. Colors such as black, brown, indigo blue, and white were used.

Taking the turns of the weather into consideration, these were extremely tightly woven to keep the wearer safe during harsh winters. These multipurpose pieces could double up as shawls to keep the body warm during the day and as blankets while sleeping at night.

2nd Phase - 1840-1860

Wider horizontal stripes made way for tinier, more intricate design features such as rectangular bands. The addition of such new elements made the weaving technique stand out more vividly. Extremely expensive, these are slightly easier to source than first phase blankets now.

3rd Phase - 1860-1868

This short phase saw blankets with more variety of designs such as diamond shapes, squares, and so on. Conventionally, such blankets usually had 9 diamond shapes in addition to the designs found on second phase blankets. As time progressed, these diamond designs went from being tiny embellishments to the focal point of Chief’s blankets.

Given that they are so beautiful, these famous Navajo Chief’s design elements have now found their way on everyday items such as mugs, coin purses, wallets, and so on.

After this phase, a lot of new and complex design features can be seen. The Navajo people transitioned from the traditional bayeta cloth for reds to other color variations and choice of materials and also diversified into creating bold geometrical Navajo Ganado rugs.

We hope that you learned quite a bit about the history of Chief’s blankets. Bear this in mind the next time you look for them!

Author’s Bio: The blogger is a retailer of Navajo Ganado rugs and this article is about Chief’s blankets.

About This Author

jasminmaclean14 Joined: January 17th, 2019