Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1901-09-21
A Priceless Collection of
Navajo and Other Blankets
The Unique Exhibition by Hon. Arthur Segman in the Eth
biological Building at the panAmerican Exposition.
Something About the Texture and the Manufac-
ture of Blankets by the Indians.

and favorable attention at the Pan
American exposition, now being helt
in the city of Buffalo, New York state
is the chronological exhibit and among
it's b-exhibits there is not one tina
excites greater interest or admiration
than the large and beautiful collection
of Navajo blankets placed there b,
Hon. Arthur Seligman, of this city
who is one of the commissioners from
New Mexico to the exposition. Tht
number of these blankets is a little
less than one-half of his entire collec
ton, which consists of about 100 blan
kets of which number 81 are in place
at the exposition.
A PRICELESS COLLECTION.
This collection is undoubtedly the
finest in the world and could not be
duplicated at any price. Hon. Arthur
Seligman was greatly assisted by his
brother j. L. Seligmen, in making the
collection. Both are authorities on the
subject of weaving by the Navajos and
the Pueblos and have read and studied
about all the published works on the
subject.
HOW THE COLLECTION WAS
MADE.
Mr.. Seligman, who is one of the most
progressive and successful young bus
mess men in the territory, now hold
ing the position of county commission
er of Santa Fe county, elected last No
vember for four years. and also very
responsible position in the wholesale
and retail dry goods firm of Seligman
Bros, established in this city in 1885,
is less than 80 years of age and has
been engaged in gathering this most
interesting and valuable collection for
many years. When he was but 8
years of age he commenced to pur-
chase fine Navajo blankets and in
very short time became an expert and
an authority on such blankets. His
collection consists now after 20 years
of work, Of blankets of every possible
design weave and color as found in
the old Vayetta blankets The colors
of some of these, that are over 100
years old are more brilliant today than
those of the most costly Persian and
Armenian rugs and are not affected by
either sun or water The colors will
not fade and will not run in washing
or wash out. Their sizes vary from a
small saddle blanket to very large
blanket six by eight feet. Most of the
blankets are still in perfect condition,
although exposed to hard usage for
fifty years and even longer. There are
also some very fine specimens of
"Capitas' in the collection, these being
good sized blankets with slit in the
center, sometimes large enough to put
the head of person through and
sometimes only large enough to put
an arm through. The entire blanket
however, being woven In one piece
The blankets were purchased or OBJ
tained as special favors from the lead
ing and the oldest Spanish families in
the territory, such as the Oteros, Lu-
mas, Chaves, Bacas, Armijos, Ortiz,
Sarracinos, Lopezs, Luceros Pinos,
Vigils, and others; some of them hav-
ing been in the respective families
from whom they We're obtained, since
the year 1900, and some even prior to
that date. 1t was the custom to hand
down these blankets in the different
families as heirlooms from generation
to generation so highly were they priz-
ed and many of them are of historical
interest and have been used by gov
ernors, generals and war captains of
illustrious fame. Could they but talk
and relate occurrences at which they
were present many an interesting tale,
heroic deed, bloody assassination, in
quisitorial cruelty, as well as roman
tic love going on in the his
tory of New Mexico, for the
past 15O years, would be disclosed.
Neither time, trouble, nor expense was
spared in getting together these tell
tale specimens of this magnificent col
lection Of the weaving art of the wo-
men, of the once fierce, barbarous and
powerful tribe of the Navajos, that
still, after all the vicissitudes of life,
bloody warfare, the Introduction Of fell
diseases and still more deadly alcohol,
numbers over 10000 souls.
WEAVING KNOWN TO THE IN
HABITANTS OF NEW MEXICO
HUNDREDS OF YEARS.
1t seems from tradition, legends, folk
lore and more genuine and reliable da-
ia that the art Of weaving was known
to the inhabitants of New Mexico and
was practiced as far back as the COM
mencing Of the Christian era and that
the various tribes and nations that in
habited New Mexico before the 10th
century wer weavers Of cotton, feath-
ers, willow twigs and plant fbres.
Among these pc pie and races were
the Atalantes, Mayas, Toltecs, Aztecs,
Zunis, Moquis and the numerous tribes
generally grouped under the name Of
the Pueblo Indians Of New Mexico.
There is no doubt that the Navajo
Apaches, who were immigrants from
the north and probably reached what
Is now New Mexico, in the 18th or
14th century, learned this art from the
various tribes and nations or sub-div-
isions. whom they found settled in cliff
dwellings and in protected villages or
towns upon their arriving In this Sec
ton. There are in existence some data
to the effect that before the advent Of
the Spaniards large animals similar to
the vicuna or the lama, were found In
what is now New Mexico and Arizona
and that the woods produced by these
animals were spun and used for gar
ments and coverings. There Is no rec
ord that any i...-es were engaged in
weaving. There are what are believed
to be reliable data, however, showing