Lot 330
Navajo Klagetoh Rug, Large Diamond Medallion, Stepped-Cross Border
Navajo Klagetoh Rug, Large Diamond Medallion, Stepped-Cross Border
Starting Bid: $1,000
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Native American, American Southwest, Navajo (Dine), Klagetoh regional style., ca. 1900 - 1966 CE. A finely woven Navajo Klagetoh rug of commanding presence, worked in natural carded wools of black, cream, and tan with vivid red dyed yarn, its bold central medallion expanding outward in a cascade of stepped diamonds, serrated lightning forms, and interlocking geometric elements that draw the eye inward with the satisfying inevitability of a well-resolved composition. The field is anchored by a large elongated central diamond in deep red, its interior filled with a feathered white and black spine flanked by nested geometric satellites, all set against a dark ground that sharpens the chromatic contrast to near-theatrical effect. Corner blocks of red, black, and grey echo the central motif and knit the composition into a unified whole, while the outer border, rendered in black and cream, deploys a running stepped-cross pattern that recalls the geometric vocabulary of ancient Southwest pottery traditions. Size: 47" W x 87.25" H (119.4 cm W x 221.6 cm H)
The Klagetoh style emerged from the Hubbell Revival period as a close cousin to the Ganado, distinguished by its reversed color logic: where Ganado rugs flame with red fields, Klagetoh grounds cool to grey, tan, or black, allowing the red patterning to operate as accent rather than atmosphere. Don Lorenzo Hubbell, whose trading post at Ganado operated from 1878 onward and is now a National Historic Site administered by the National Park Service, drove the commercial systematization of these regional styles, commissioning oil paintings of over one hundred rug patterns and directing Dine weavers toward designs calibrated for an affluent Anglo market. Yet within those regulated parameters, Navajo weavers consistently asserted their own aesthetic authority, weaving individual expressions into the fabric itself through contrasting yarn, spirit lines, and subtle departures from the prescribed motif.
The tradition that produced this rug draws on more than two thousand years of Southwest weaving history, shaped by Pueblo, Navajo, Spanish-American, and Euro-American influences, with Churro sheep wool, introduced by Spanish colonialists in the mid-sixteenth century, replacing cotton as the dominant fiber. The Rug Period (ca. 1890 to 1930), which coincided with the American Arts and Crafts movement, crystallized the regional styles for which Navajo weaving is internationally celebrated. A rug of this scale and intricacy represents a formidable investment of time and skill, requiring construction of a specialized loom capable of supporting its weight and potentially years of sustained labor to complete. Institutional collections are the primary custodians of such textiles, making examples of this quality a rare and significant presence on the private market.
Provenance: private Denver, Colorado, USA collection
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Item #
201795
- Condition: A few minor pulls to fibers and slight fraying, but otherwise intact. Small stains which can probably be spot cleaned. Great overall condition.
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| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $749 | $25 |
| $750 | $1,499 | $50 |
| $1,500 | $2,999 | $100 |
| $3,000 | $7,499 | $250 |
| $7,500 | $14,999 | $500 |
| $15,000 + | $1,000 |