NAVAJO BLANKETS 211 
are called “Chief’s blankets” and are distinguished by a peculiar arrange- 
ment of designs. The body of the blanket is made in broad stripes. On 
this as a background, a rectangular design is woven in the center with one 
half of the same design midway on each side and one quarter of it in each 
corner. These blankets are valuable because they were woven with care 
from finely spun yarn and because they usually date from the period of 
bayeta and the better dyes. The Navajo now prefer to wear the trader’s 
blanket since it is lighter in weight and more gorgeous in colors and designs. 
From the collector's and blanket lover’s standpoint, there are four 
groups into which Navajo blankets fall. The most valued are those con- 
taining bayeta which have not been made since about 1875. Next stand 
those which consist entirely of wool in the natural color or dyed only with 
native dyes. Thirdly, many blankets of excellent workmanship and 
pleasing designs have been woven from Germantown yarn, ready spun and 
dyed; and finally, the common modern product too often the result of 
aniline and other commercial dyes. 
Navajo BLANKETS RECENTLY ACQUIRED 
In the Lenders’ collection presented to the Museum by Mr. J. Pierpont 
Morgan, there are twenty-five Navajo blankets, eleven of which contain 
bayeta yarn, five of the eleven being also chief’s blankets. The gem of 
this collection is about two yards long and a yard and a half wide and has 
the body of bayeta red, material ravelled from five different pieces of cloth. 
Mrs. Russell Sage during a recent visit to the Southwest and California 
purchased two collections of blankets. One of these belonged to A. C. 
Vroman of Pasadena, California, and had been made by him with rare taste 
and judgment. It is mostly composed of the very best examples of earlier 
Navajo weaving. Thirteen blankets of this collection were given to this 
Museum, others to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The second col- 
lection was obtained from Fred Harvey, well-known through his connection 
with the Santa Fé railroad system. It consists of six Navajo blankets in 
addition to specimens of Hopi, Chimayo and Saltillo weaving. This 
collection as a whole has been presented to the Museum. 
A few months ago the Museum had no blankets worthy of mention and 
the situation was a discouraging one, for good blankets are obtained only 
by bountiful means and by the exercise of a critical judgment acquired 
through years of experience. These three collections brought into the 
possession of the Museum through the generosity of Mrs. Russell Sage and 
Mr. J. Pierpont Morgan have already supplied the need hardest to meet, 
that of the oldest and best blankets. 
Puryy E. Gopparp 
