Navajo weavers | Page 7

As
illustrating the great fertility of this people in design I have to relate
that in the finer blankets of intricate pattern out of thousands which I

have examined, I do not remember to have ever seen two exactly alike.
Among the coarse striped blankets there is great uniformity.
[Illustration: FIG. 49.--Navajo blanket of the finest quality.]
The accompanying pictures of blankets represent some in my private
collection. Fig. 49 depicts a blanket measuring 6 feet 9 inches by 5 feet
6 inches, and weighing nearly 6 pounds. It is made entirely of
Germantown yarn in seven strongly contrasting colors, and is the work
of a man who is generally conceded to be the best weaver in the tribe.
A month was spent in its manufacture. Its figures are mostly in serrated
stripes, which are the most difficult to execute with regularity. I have
heard that the man who wove this often draws his designs on sand
before he begins to work them on the loom. Fig. 50 a shows a blanket
of more antique design and material. It is 6 feet 6 inches by 5 feet 3
inches, and is made of native yarn and bayeta. Its colors are black,
white, dark-blue, red (bayeta) and--in a portion of the stair-like
figures--a pale blue. Fig. 50 b depicts a tufted blanket or rug, of a kind
not common, having much the appearance of an Oriental rug; it is made
of shredded red flannel, with a few simple figures in yellow, dark blue,
and green. Fig. 51 represents a gaudy blanket of smaller size (5 feet 4
inches by 3 feet 7 inches) worn by a woman. Its colors are yellow,
green, dark blue, gray, and red, all but the latter color being in native
yarn. Figs. 52 and 53 illustrate small or half-size blankets made for
children's wear. Such articles are often used for saddle blankets
(although the saddle-cloth is usually of coarser material) and are in
great demand among the Americans for rugs. Fig. 53 has a regular
border of uniform device all the way around--a very rare thing in
Navajo blankets. Figs. 54 and 55 show portions of coarse blankets
made more for use use than ornament. Fig. 55 is made of
loosely-twilled yarn, and is very warm but not water-proof. Such
blankets make excellent bedding for troops in the field. Fig. 54 is a
water-proof serape of well-twilled native wool.
[Illustration: FIG. 50.--Navajo blankets.]
[Illustration: FIG. 51.--Navajo blanket.]

[Illustration: FIG. 52.--Navajo blanket.]
[Illustration: FIG. 53.--Navajo blanket.]
[Illustration: FIG. 54.--Part of Navajo blanket.]
[Illustration: FIG. 55.--Part of Navajo blanket.]
The aboriginal woman's dress is made of two small blankets, equal in
size and similar in design, sewed together at the sides, with apertures
left for the arms and no sleeves. It is invariably woven in black or
dark-blue native wool with a broad variegated stripe in red imported
yarn or red bayeta at each end, the designs being of countless variety.
Plates XXXIV and XXXV represent women wearing such dresses.
[Illustration: FIG. 56.--Diagram showing formation of warp of sash.]
[Illustration: PL. XXXVII.--ZUÑI WOMAN WEAVING A BELT.]
§ X. Their way of weaving long ribbon-like articles, such as sashes or
belts, garters, and hair-bands, which we will next consider, presents
many interesting variations from, the method pursued in making
blankets. To form, a sash the weaver proceeds as follows: She drives
into the ground four sticks and on them she winds her warp as a
continuous string (however, as the warp usually consists of threads of
three different colors it is not always one continuous string) from,
below upwards in such a way as to secure two sheds, as shown in the
diagram, Fig. 56.
[Illustration: FIG. 57.--Section of Navajo belt.]
[Illustration: FIG. 58.--Wooden heald of the Zuñis.]
Every turn of the warp passes over the sticks a, and b; but it is alternate
turns that pass over c and d. When the warp is laid she ties a string
around the intersection of the sheds at e, so as to keep the sheds
separate while she is mounting the warp on the beams. She then places
the upper beam of the loom in the place of the stick b and the lower

beam in the place of the stick a. Sometimes the upper and lower beams
are secured to the two side rails forming a frame such as the warp of a
blanket is wound on (§ IV), but more commonly the loom is arranged
in the manner shown in Plate XXXVI; that is, the upper beam is
secured to a rafter, post, or tree, while to the lower beam is attached a
loop of rope that passes under the thighs of the weaver, and the warp is
rendered tense by her weight. Next, the upper shed is supplied with a