Navajo Miniature Pictorial Mother Earth Rug By Lula Brown

ca. 1990

3.875" H x 4" W

Handspun Wool with a Very Fine Weave in a Geometric Design

In Very Good Condition

Lula Brown (also known as Lula Bia Brown, born 1950) is a well-known Navajo (Diné) weaver from the Crystal, New Mexico area of the Navajo Nation. She specializes in finely woven miniature rugs (often around 3–4 inches in size) in a variety of traditional and revival styles, including pictorial, Ye'ii (Holy People), Storm Pattern, Raised Outline, Classic Revival, and sandpainting motifs. She has been weaving since the 1960s, learned from family members (including her mother Betty Bia and aunt Della Woody), and has won awards such as First Place at the Inter-tribal Indian Ceremonial in Gallup, NM. Her husband Herman Brown (deceased) and other family members also wove miniatures.

Miniature pictorial rugs by Lula Brown, including Mother Earth (often part of a Mother Earth and Father Sky sandpainting motif from Navajo ceremonies like the Shootingway Chant), are highly collectible. These tiny weavings feature complex designs with frequent color changes, making them time-intensive despite their size. They are typically done in natural or aniline-dyed wool with tight weaves (high weft counts).