Nos Pos, Ariz., near the New Mexico border. Moreover, the number of Navajo weavers has been declining steadily for the past decade, leading to a scarcity of contemporary pieces. For the younger, more worldly generation of Navajos, weaving is their elders' craft. A plain pattern can be worth as much, if not more, than a multicolored creation if the weaving is intricate. Better-quality rugs have a tight, smooth weave and symmetrical design.
Typical markups are double what the weaver gets, and there's little room for bargaining.
Navajo weavings exhibit 16 regional styles, which evolved around trading posts starting in the late 1800s. The early weavings were blankets, which people wore as a sign of wealth and status. As the Navajo people have become more mobile, genres have blended. The pattern might include serrated diamonds or zigzags that resemble lightning bolts. Triangles, squares, and hooked figures often seem to float on caramel and gray backgrounds.