Navajo Bisti Pictorial Rug

This finely woven Navajo Bisti pictorial is arguably the finest example of a Bisti rug from the early 1900’s. Somewhere at some time, the weaver of this rug was shown an illustration of a Persian rug. Here we can see the Navajo weaver’s amazing ability to see a pattern, retain that image in her mind’s eye and re-create it adding her own meaning to the designs in this masterpiece. It is a unique and intricately designed tapestry adorned with geometric patterns along with bird and cornstalk motifs and the weaver’s interpretation of the Yei; Navajo creation and healing deities. This weaving is all hand-spun wool with aniline and vegetal dyes, particularly the wild carrot dye used for the light tan exclusively in the Bisti region of the Navajo Nation. Rugs from this area, Southwest of Farmington, N.M., are identifiable by curly-cue design elements extremely difficult to weave on the Navajo loom.

Condition: Excellent

Circa:1910-1920