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Wearing Blanket

A work made of wool, plain weave with "lazy lines" and dovetail tapestry weave; twined warp ends and selvages; knotted corner tassels.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of wool, plain weave with "lazy lines" and dovetail tapestry weave; twined warp ends and selvages; knotted corner tassels.

Date:

1860-90

Artist:

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

About this artwork

The Diné trace their knowledge of weaving and design to two holy people: Spider Man, who created the vertical loom, and Spider Woman, who taught them how to weave. These blankets typically were worn around both shoulders or wrapped around the torso with one end draped over one shoulder. Designs started with simple banded horizontal stripes and became increasingly complex over time. The predominantly geometric patterns of wearing blankets manifest the essential Diné concept of hózhó: the harmony and order that come through a balance of apparent opposites, such as day and night, which permeates the world.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Textiles

Culture

Navajo (Diné)

Title

Wearing Blanket

Place

New Mexico (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.

1860–1890

Medium

Wool, plain weave with "lazy lines" and dovetail tapestry weave; twined warp ends and selvages; knotted corner tassels

Dimensions

177.8 × 125.4 cm (70 × 49 3/8 in.)

Credit Line

Bequest of Alan R. Brodie

Reference Number

2012.5

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/210026/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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