The times., 1897-07-11
The Real Navajo nlauket.

The Navajo Indian of New Mexico and
Arizona cannot vie with the modern Turk
in rugs, but when 1T comes to blankets he
can beat the world-oT, rather, he could,
for ii is nearly a generation since a Nay
ago blanket OF strictly the first class has
been created Here is a lost art not be
cause the NavaJos no longer know how,
but because they viii no longer take the
trouble. They make thousands or blankets
still-thick, coarse, fuzzy things, which
are the best camping blankets TO I've had
anywhere, and most comfortable robes.
But of the superb old ponchos and zarapes
for chiefs those iron fabrics woven from
vayeta Ia Turkish cloth imported specially
for them aud sold at SIS pound, unrayeled
10y them, and its thread relncarnate in an
Infinitely better new bodyl-not one has
been woven in twenty years. 1t is a loss
te the worli, but the collector who began
In ume can hardly phianthropist enough
10 lament the deterioration which has made
it impossible that even the richest rival
shall ever be able to match his treasures.
There are still Nava JOS i20, 600 OF Uhem}
and there is sriil vayeta, and as there are
people who woald give $500 for an abso-
luOely first-class vayeta blanket, you
might fancy that the three things would
pool. But that is to forget the Nava jo He
is a ban lbarian. to whom enough is an ele-
gant suffic!cncy. BY weaving the cheap
and wretched blankets of today -wretched,
that is, as works OF arb-he can get all the
money he desires. Why. hen, toll twelve
month over a blanket for $500 (which is
more coin than he can imag CINE, anyhow
when weeks work will bring So?
The art OF the Navajo blanket is as old
as Plymouth rock-and almost at bigoted
You can tell a genuine just as far as YOU
can see it, 1t is a curious fact known to
the student that, when left to himself, the
Indian never blun ders in color. 1t IS only
when too long rubbed with our shoddy
civilization and poisoned with the ease and
cheapncss Of our aniine dyes that he per
petrates Atrocities. His eye for color is
elemental and absolutely correct Red is
king-and no magenta, mauve or lake bat
true red. Blue is good, because it stands
for the sky, and green because il is the
grass, and yellow for the sun, and white
for the clouds and snow-and these are
the only coIors found in a strictly perfect
Navajo blanket. To the Indian color is a
part or religion, and puppies and pinks,
is fully corrupted. The blanket OF today
is the most graphic witness TO the falling
off Of the aborigine that ever came into
court. 1t is full of hues that any decent
Indian knows TO be literally infamous
A generation ago a Navajo would have
been put to death by his people If simpI =
found in possession of one OF those witch
colors. But the true old blanket was as
perfect in Its color scheme as in its weav-
ing-and / have blankets which have for
sevcnsyfive years done duty on an adobe
floor.
or course. at all times, these gems were
Comparatively few. Not every Navajo
weaver was q master, and not so many
could afford blanket whose thread cost
S6 a pound as could stand the natural
wool at 80 cents. But what has done the
most to make the od-time blanket scarce
buried with its owner. In the Christian
graveyards OF the p ueblos, in the barbaric
lonely last cuddling places Of Navajo cap
tains, the vast majority of the perfect
| blankets have gone TO the worms. I my
| self ave seen ponchos not three collections
| in the world could match today swathed
about corpse and covered with six fee
Of earth, and you can fancy if that woult
make a collector gnash his tceth.-N. Y
| Tribune.