The Diné, or Navajo people, are known for their spectacular woven blankets and rugs. Prior to the introduction of synthetic dyes in the late 1800s, they used natural dyes and variations in the color of sheep’s wool to add color to their weavings. Indigo grown in Mexico and Central America was imported to the southwestern United States by way of a trade route known as the Old Spanish Trail, or the Indigo Trail. This large “Third Phase Chief’s Blanket” is dyed with both indigo and cochineal, a red dye derived from insects.
This textile is exhibited with permission from the Navajo Nation.