After the Navajo began to abandon the weaving of wearing blankets in favor of Pendleton Blankets and White man's clothing, there was a transition to weaving floor rugs.
The trading post operators led this change, and many posts were pretty specific about what type of weavings they would buy. So we ended up with the Ganado Red from Hubbell's Trading Post, the Two Grey Hills pattern from the trading post by that name, and Toadlena, the Teec Nos Pos patterns from the post near the Four Corners, and others.
All that changed after the 1980s when most of the posts were closed, and weavers began to take their work to off-reservation traders. Navajo rug dealers, including my father, focused on buying quality weavings from all areas. Only about half of the rugs woven fit a traditional pattern, and those had evolved from the 1920s and 1930s. The other half were patterns woven all across the reservation. They were just typical Navajo rugs.
What did happen is that dealers began to treat weavers more like artists than craftspeople. It was a good direction and helped many weavers establish reputations and earn better incomes.
Very few dealers tried to dictate what they should make to a weaver, but a few worked in partnership with top weavers to create unique pieces. Craig Watson was a man who lived in Cortez, Colorado, who repaired Navajo weaving. He also spun and dyed yarns and wove Navajo-style rugs. Roy Kady taught him, an award-winning male Navajo weaver from the Teec Nos Pos area.
Craig also went by "Indiana Watson " and enjoyed designing patterns for Navajo weavings. Very few weavers draw a pattern, but a good weaver could replicate a pattern given to them.
Our featured weaving today is from the late 1990s. Watson designed, spun, and dyed the wool for the piece. He used Churro sheep wool and colored it with blue indigo and red cochineal dye. He gave the drawing and materials to one of his favorite weavers, Lily Lee, and she wove this beautiful rug.
This piece is unusual for its design and because it is a large weaving, 118" x 82", and woven very tightly. It could easily be used as a floor rug. It has an interesting border and a Navajo wearing blanket pattern in the center.
I did not know Craig very well and only recently learned
that he had passed, but in one conversation, he shared how much he enjoyed
collaborating with Navajo weavers. Based on this rug's quality, Lee
also enjoyed the experience. Very few weavers working today have the skill
to weave a rug of this size.
