Historic Zuni Pueblo Banded-Style Blanket, circa 1880 [SOLD]

It has been well determined that the Pueblo Indians were weaving long before the arrival of the Spaniards in 1540 and that they preceded the Navajo in weaving. At first, the Pueblo weavers were growing and using cotton but accepted the wool from the Spaniard's sheep after their arrival, although they never gave up weaving with cotton.

Pueblo blankets were made to use as ordinary wearing blankets. Generally, they are longer than wide and are weft-faced and they are loosely woven with coarsely spun yarns and patterned with broad bands of colored stripes. This mention of loosely woven with coarsely spun yarns is not to be taken as detrimental. The loose weave with thick yarns provides for entrapment of air for warmth.

Pueblo blankets are often thought of as wearing blankets for men only, however, there are documented photographs showing women wearing them as well as using them as totes for children or material goods.

Banded blankets were made by Navajo and Hispanic weavers as well as Pueblo individuals, and sometimes it is difficult to determine which group made any particular blanket. Many pueblo blankets have been woven with brown wool warps.

This blanket is a loosely woven plain, weft-faced weave with a few lazy lines. It is constructed on dark brown wool warp with natural white and dyed Churro wool weft. What identifies this blanket as pueblo by origin is that the outer warps on each side of the blanket are in pairs-a trait not used by the Navajo. Also, the edge cords and end cords on pueblo blankets are tucked back in to the warp whereas they are tied together and left as fringe on Navajo textiles. Further, the use of brown wool for the warp is not a Navajo trait, but definitely that of Pueblo weavers.

Condition: The blanket is generally in good condition. There has been some repair in places but it appears that those repairs are not of recent age.

Provenance: Current collector purchased it from Tony Berlant, an artist and Navajo rug dealer and expert, in 1960. He provided the dates of 1870-1880.

Reference: Southwest Textiles: Weavings of the Navajo and Pueblo, by Kathleen Whitaker. University of Washington Press, Seattle and London, in association with Southwest Museum. Los Angeles. 2002 Southwest Museum. A copy of this out of print book, valued at $350, will be provided to the purchaser of this textile.