Rug (Dorothy Yazzie, Diné)
Dorothy Yazzie, Diné (Navajo) People (Arizona, United States)
Rug (20th century)
wool, natural dyes
89.0 x 67.0 cm
The Greenfield Collection in memory of Myrtle Greenfield (1884-1967) Albuquerque, New Mexico, given by Robert E. and Mary Frances Greenfield
84-198
This piece is the work of Dorothy Yazzie (Diné). Woven using a weft-faced weaving technique common to rugs, the warps (the vertical fibers of the rug) are completely covered by the weft (the horizontal fibers). This makes for a thick, dense weave. The design features a striped and diamond banded pattern made from natural (undyed) wools and naturally dyed wools that were both hand and mill spun. When examining this piece during his visit during the Textile Photography Project, Tyrrell Tapaha, a 6th generation Diné weaver, reflected on how this piece continued the weaving traditions specific to this region of Arizona, commenting that "the traders near Chinle Trading Post (Arizona) pushed for more natural dyes in their pieces," during the late 1800s and early 1900s, following the establishment of the Navajo reservation in 1868 via a Treaty which recognized Navajo sovereignty. With its natural wools and use of natural vegetable dyes for the other colors, this piece certainly continues in that tradition.
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