Bisbee daily review., 1912-12-01

Eevy nation has-and in mos cases highly valued-exampIes of tn handicraft of it's ancient and prehls toric forebears E
 ih one instance 1t is tapestry. an oiner, laces; others. Jewelry, sculp turS metal work. etc. all of fher s1ahalng out unique in their partic nlsr class and in most cases. supario, ih many ways to their modern coun
 The Americas, particularly ina part Of them oceulked by- the Unitaf States, is particularly favored in in, aooFe respect In the. handicraft o the North American Indians.
 rms. because of the marvellous skill indicated in much Of their work, its bsrbaric beauty and it's absolute dis similarity to the work of any other nation in the world.
 Most prominent among their varied product of bead. metal. clay and text He works, is the Navajo blanket. this because of it's wider and more varied possibilities of practical utility. which VIII be mentioned again later.
 And We have the satisfaction oi stiil being able to secure these blank, cts woven in all their primitive and barbaric splendor and woven in the same way they were countless years ago. giving us a finished product i'm l'osS ble to duplicate on modern looms.
 The Navajos. are of the Dime stock, and a portion of the branch live in Alaska. they only weave ceremonial robe from the wool of the wild sheen
 Spsniards introduced sheep into this country, and shortly afterward the Navajos secured their share with but little scruple as to how they ac. quiTed it. From the Spaniarus they learned the value of wool as a ma. terial for weaving. The Navajo women had inherited the simple arts of mak. ing primitive fabrics of yucca and grass for sleeping mats, and screens Of shredded bark 10 hang over the en- trahee 10 the.r fipts! hence it was rather an easy trailsitian than rad, ical innovation for. them to adopt the vertical loom and make spinning and weaving a favorfte pastime. They substituted woolen fabrics in place
 
 As the flocks relded about equal quantities of white and black wool the simple efforts to dispose Of it produced the characteristic pattern oi the common bed blanket, which dis played broad alternate bars of black and white running across it's width.
 With the weaving art they also ac- Guired the knowledge of dyeing .anG today are making the blankets of the wool from their own flocks which are as beautiful as the most expensive blanket they make from the german town yarn.
 Indian designs are never mechanical but are to a great degree, historical and always full of significance.
 The Navajo squaw is a natural aI. tist and in addition to putting into her blankets religious and tribal sym bols emblematic Of faith. custom oE traditions, frequently weaves into the fabric the story of her own life re, plete with all it's joys and sorrows trusting to some mystic power Co translate it's message to it's future pos sessor.
 And the finished result is a gem of barbaric weaving thac to many would appear almost hideous were it not for the perfect blending of coIors.
 The tendency towards mythologiC symbolism seems to be instinctive with the Navajo. Apparently, from their earliest condition their decora- tions have always shown this bent. The designs in theiT textile fabrics suggest their derivation from basket ry ornamentation, as the angular, curveless forms inherent to the pro, cess of depicting figures by interiay' ing plaits are predominant; and the principal subjects are conventional devices representing clouds, stars lightning, the rainbow, and emblems Of the deities. But these simple forms are produced in endless combination. and often in brilliant kaleidoscope grouping, presenting broad effects of scarlet and black-a wide range ot color skilfully blended upon a ground of white. But the greatest charm O. these Navajo fabrics Is the unre strained freedom shown by the weav- CT in her treatment of primitive con yentions. To the checked emblem oi the rainbow she adds sweeping rays of color typifying sunbeams; below the manyangled cloud group she in serts random pencil lines of rain; or she softens the rigid meander signi fy,ng lightning with graceful inter lacing and shaded tints. Not confinina herself alone to these traditional de vices. she invents her own method to introduce curious, realistic figures of common obiects-her wooden weav ing-fork. a bow and arrows. None oi the large designs are ever reproduced Each fabric carries some distinct var iation. some suggestion of the occa