Bidspirit auction | Navajo Wool JB Moore Style

Navajo Wool JB Moore Style Crystal Rug 8'8”x4'6” - Dine (Navajo) Native American regional Crystal pictorial ”Storm” rug textile, similar in style to weavings produced for the J. B. Moore trading post, ca. 1920s-1930s. The carpet features a serrated diamond central medallion with jagged, linear lightning-bolt motifs. Along the upper and lower edges appear stepped pyramidal structures surmounted by crosses, possibly representing churches. The field is populated with interspersed arrow and feather forms alongside geometric motifs. Executed in grey, cream, brown, red, and orange wool. Prior to 1900, Navajo textiles largely emphasized geometric designs; pictorial motifs, such as structures or feathers, were relatively uncommon. As rail travel brought increasing numbers of tourists to the Southwest, a market emerged for distinctive handmade textiles. Reservation traders such as Lorenzo Hubbell and J. B. Moore urged weavers to shift from producing wearing blankets to making floor rugs and other household textiles for non-Native buyers, ushering in a ”Transitional” period in Navajo society, culture, and design. These traders are often credited with sustaining and expanding the Navajo weaving industry during this time. Yet their role was complex: while they helped create new economic opportunities, they also promoted outside artistic, commercial, and cultural expectations, shaping imagery and motifs to align with market ideas of ”authentic” Native American design. Dine (Navajo) weavers responded creatively to these changing conditions, incorporating new formats and increasingly pictorial imagery while continuing to draw on long-standing weaving knowledge and traditions. Length: 8 ft 8 in x width: 4 ft 6 in. Condition: The colors are bold and bright. There are no odors or stains. No signs of present insect activity. The upper and left edges have been reinforced with a band of fabric and velcro stitched to the B-side. Light wear along the extreme edges.