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Chief Blanket (Third Phase)

A work made of wool, single interlocking tapestry weave; twined edges; corner tassels.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of wool, single interlocking tapestry weave; twined edges; corner tassels.

Date:

c. 1860/65

Artist:

Navajo (Diné)
Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, United States

About this artwork

Navajo (Diné) blankets made using fine churro wool and natural dyes are valued as works of special artistic and cultural significance. The design of this blanket, which features a steeped diamond in the center, quarter-diamonds ar each corner, and half-diamonds in the center of each side, was first introduced during the 1860s. The stripes of white, black-brown, and red reflect the continued use of pattern elements typical of earlier blankets. Although such textiles are known as “chiefs’ blankets,” prominent men from tribes as far away as the Northern Plains, Southwest, and Great Basin wore them draped over their shoulders as a sign of their wealth and status.

The Navajo believe that the deity Spider woman taught women how to weave and continues to work through today’s artists by directing the growth and beauty of each textile they make. Finished blankets are thought to have life forces of their own, radiating a sense of vitality and harmony—essential to the Navajo philosophy of hozho in which every individual strives to live in balance with the world.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Textiles

Culture

Navajo (Diné)

Title

Chief Blanket (Third Phase)

Place

Navajo (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1855–1865

Medium

Wool, single interlocking tapestry weave; twined edges; corner tassels

Dimensions

149.6 × 173.9 cm (58 7/8 × 68 1/2 in.)

Credit Line

Robert Allerton Endowment

Reference Number

2001.151

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/157115/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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