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Another way to check the authenticity of the Navajo rug is to look for lazy lines. Lazy lines appear as a diagonal line in the weave of the fabric. During the weaving process, the rug maker would move to work on adjacent sections of the warp, resulting in the subtle diagonal lines referred to as lazy lines. These lines would be almost impossible to detect by looking at a photograph of the rug online.
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Regional characteristics of a Native American rug can be useful in identifying it. Navajo rugs don’t have borders and feature horizontal bands, while Two Grey Hills rugs typically have elaborate designs. Navajo rugs are often made with natural vegetable dyes. They may also contain designs and patterns added by other people. Typically, the weaving style is similar to Navajo textiles. The two rugs can be identified by their colors and pattern.
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This rug design looks almost Persian and perhaps least likea Navajo. It is a very busy and bold design with a wide border filled witha variety of motifs, especially a lightning path. It is a complex design andthe rugs are often large. The centers of these rugs are quite elaborate withfeathers, arrows, and claw-like hooks extending from the points of diamonds andtriangles. Zigzags will be everywhere. There are really no color rules, except they should harmonize.This design also contains a lot of diagonal lines. The name of the rug comes from a settlement in the NE cornerof the Navajo nation and means ‘Cottonwoods in a Circle.’ This is a very interestingrug and has some distinguishable design features. In the center of the rug willbe a rectangle that represents the center of the universe.

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A more complicated type of design was derived from Hispanic Saltillo serapes which featured brightly colored patterns of serrated diamond shapes. Weavers frequently outlined the small serrated patterns with a single yarn of contrasting color to heighten the visual complexity and impact. This patterning technique became known as the Eyedazzler and continues to be popular to the present day. Both the banded and diamond pattern homespun blankets of the late 19th century are generically known as Transitional Blankets because they signaled the end of Navajo blanket production and ushered in the era of the Navajo rug.
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Despite the excellent quality of these blankets, no more than a hundred exist today. The blanket was lot #1062 in an auction at John Moran’s, and was expected to sell for $100,000-$200,000. Clearly it sold for many times that number, and I only hope that whoever bought it is not inspired by my childhood antics, and leaves the Navajo blanket in a temperature and light controlled glass case instead of snuggling with in their car! Native American history is best told, not in schoolbooks, but in their art. And, some of the most revealing pieces of this cultural heritage are textiles. Pieces like this Navajo chief’s blanket tell a story of the Native American community, spirituality and struggle for survival.

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There are 28 Styles of Navajo Rugs. Some Styles are more difficult to weave than others. Intricacy and tightness of the weave affect the value. Generally speaking, the tighter and finer the weave, the more valuable the piece. The condition of a Navajo Rug will of course affect the value as well. Weigh the condition issues (is it clean, straight, damaged, color run, fading, etc.) against your attraction to the weaving and decide. Sometime issues can be fixed - but that is another blog about Care & Repair.
