Navajo rug, New Lands Raised Outline Storm Pattern

late 20th century

40" x 28"

They get their name from the new lands given to the Navajo as part of the settlement concerning the Navajo-Hopi land dispute. It is centered around Sanders, Arizona. The style is a combination of three styles. The pattern is that of a Teec Nos Pos, the pastel colors are those of a Burntwater, and the third is that of a raised outline. In a raised outline, the yarn is double wrapped around a warp string to produce a raised ridge outlining the pattern. Typical of New Lands rugs, it has a somewhat uncommon color palet with Private Estate Collection. First published in the JB Moore Crystal Trading Post catalogs of 1903 and 1911, no one knows how this legendary rug came to be because its style and imagery weren’t found anywhere else in the history of the Navajo. Some say it tells the story of the Navajo Creation and Evolution of how they rose from the underworld, to the present day Navajo Land.

Historians and weavers alike believe that the central rectangle represents something of historical significance, such as a lake, Navajo Hogan, or even the very center of the Navajo Universe. Originating from the Crystal Trading Post (before the banded design revival), Storm Patterns have always maintained a strong central element connected by diagonal stepped lines to each corner, representing the four sacred mountains surrounding the Navajo Nation.

Excellent, "Like New" Condition