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Bruce Museum Opens ‘Navajo Weaving Traditions’ Exhibit

navajo-textiles
Third Phase Navajo Chief’s Blanket. Bruce Museum Collection 68.25.05.

On Aug. 18, the Bruce Museum will open “A Continuous Thread: Navajo Weaving Traditions.” This exhibition will trace the history of the Navajo weaving tradition from the earliest Mexican-inspired “Saltillo”serapes, c. 1880, to mid-20th century pictorial rugs. Featuring a dozen items from the Museum’s Native American ethnographic collection – some of which have never been publicly exhibited – the exhibition will be on display in the Bantle Lecture Gallery through Nov. 25.

“The Najavo textile collection at the Bruce is extensive enough to illustrate the history of the weaving traditions and varied enough to demonstrate the artisanal skill of the weavers,” says Kirsten Reinhardt, Museum Registar and the organizer of this exhibition. “Each piece is an extraordinary example of artistic creativity and technical execution.”

The Navajo were first recognized as the finest weavers of small horse blankets, placed under saddles to protect the horse, after the Spanish introduced both sheep and horses to the American Southwest in the mid-1500s. Influenced by Pueblo weavers, the Navajo then made large blankets which were prized throughout the Southwest and across the Great Plains for their quality as outerwear. Later, trading post economics led to a transition to rug making, a tradition that remains strong today.

The items on display are from the collection of Miss Margaret Cranford (1887-1974), a resident of Greenwich. At the age of 21, Miss Cranford began a lifelong pursuit of traveling across the United States and the world, collecting fine decorative art, jewelry, and textiles.

For additional information, call 203-869-0376 or visit brucemuseum.org

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