Navajo Textiles & Blankets: Chief Blankets - (hanolchadi)

The Chief Blanket is the quintessential Navajo textile. This textile form has antecedents in Pueblo textiles, particularly mantas and banded blankets. The Navajo Chief Blanket was formed after the wider-than-long format of the manta and the formal striped motif came from banded pieces. The early Chief Blankets were woven with stripes only (First Phase), modified with bars (Second Phase), and finally diamonds (Third Phase). Variants include crosses, boxes, and many other combinations of motifs. The term Chief Blanket is truly a misnomer. Any individual could own and wear a Chief style blanket, but these textiles were so marvelously expensive that relatively few, save the rich, could own and wear such a garment.

Navajo Weaving Tradition from ATADA.org on Vimeo.