Third Phase Navajo Chief  Blanket

Navajo weavers have an approximately 300 year history of
weaving blankets and, subsequently, rugs.  Because of their
superior quality Navajo wearing and saddle blankets were
highly prized by Mexicans and by early Anglo settlers of the
US West as well as by other Native Americans.  These blankets
had outstanding water and wind resistance, were warm and
lasted for decades in constant use.  These characteristics were
due to the high quality of the materials used in their
construction and the exceptional skill with which they were
woven.  As an example of their desirability, a fine large Navajo
wearing blanket would fetch $50 in gold in 1830.

Especially notable were the so-called Chief’s blankets.  They
are typically oversized and frequently woven side to side rather
than top to bottom.  The advantage of this configuration is
that the blanket can be wrapped distinctively around the
wearer’s body sometimes presenting visual evidence of rank.
Chief’s blankets of the Classic Period have always been highly
sought after.  Chief’s blankets are divided into three primary
styles depending upon where they fell stylistically in the Classic
Period which ranged from the very early 1800s until about 1880.
They are First Phase, Second Phase and Third Phase Chief
blankets. Additionally, there were several subsequent “revivals”
of these styles.

Classic Third Phase Chief’s blankets were woven to include
center diamonds, either stepped or smooth, as well as
lengthwise stripes and partial diamonds.  The designs are
reminiscent of Mexican Saltillo weavings from which it is
thought the design was derived.  In many cases, the true
era in which a blanket of this design was woven can be
determined only by careful examination of the fiber from
which it is constructed.

There are a number of excellent books about the subject
of Navajo weaving.  However, in our opinion, Joe Ben Wheat
stands out as a scholar and anthropologist for his work in
categorizing Navajo textiles. We enthusiastically recommend
the book written by him and published posthumously in 2003.
The link follows:

Blanket Weaving in the Southwest

The following video provides a discussion of a 1940s revival
Third Phase Chief’s blanket.

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