Exquisite Navajo Floor Rug from Teec Nos Pos Area [SOLD]

The Artistry of Navajo Weaving: A Study of Teec Nos Pos Textiles

The Navajo Reservation, specifically the area known as Teec Nos Pos (meaning ‘circle of cottonwoods'), is home to a unique textile tradition. Nestled in the Four Corners region of the Southwest, this area is renowned for its distinctive rug designs. A prime example of this is a Teec Nos Pos rug from the 1940s, which showcases the region's signature design elements.

The rug's design is characterized by an extraordinary border, distinct from the interior patterns. This border features white boxes on a black background, with each box representing a triangular shape folded into a square. The border's width exceeds 8 inches, a characteristic feature of rugs from this region. Enclosed within this border is a secondary one, mirroring the triangular patterns of the outer border. This secondary border is executed in brown and white yarns against a light brown field and framed with thin red yarn.

The rug's central design is a long rectangle dominated by three elements. The two larger elements are white cross patterns filled with diamonds of varying colors, outlined by brown yarn arranged in triangles at the cross's corners. The smaller element, located at the textile's center, features a white pattern over a brown field, with diamonds adorning the four corners.

Teec Nos Pos is not just a geographical location but also a trading post situated where Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah intersect. Founded in 1905 by H.B. Noel, this post is credited with the development of the Teec Nos Pos style. Local tradition attributes this development to a missionary named Mrs. Wilson, who worked in the area before 1905.

Early Teec Nos Pos styles shared similarities with Red Mesa Eye-Dazzler styles. However, the style we recognize today as Teec Nos Pos likely evolved post-1920. This style, while bearing resemblances to Red Mesa, is more subtle in coloration and incorporates multiple borders, a plethora of intricate filler motifs, and a wide variety of homespun wool fleeces.

The influence of Oriental carpets, Germantown eye dazzler textiles, and the Oriental-style works produced at Crystal under J.B. Moore is evident in Teec Nos Pos textiles. Regardless of their design origin or format, Teec Nos Pos rugs stand as the pinnacle of technical and artistic achievements in regional Navajo weaving.

Condition: very good condition with some missing edge cord and white warp visibility in minor areas. Overall, it is in very good condition.

Provenance: this Exquisite Navajo Floor Rug from Teec Nos Pos Area was purchased by the current owner in 1993 and was in a low-traffic area of the home.

Recommended Reading: The Rugs of Teec Nos Pos: Jewels of the Navajo Loom, by Ruth K. Belikove. Published by Adobe Gallery in 1994. (Available from Adobe Gallery)

TAGS: Navajo Textiles, Teec Nos Pos, Navajo Nation