A Classic Serape, or Slave Blanket,
with Three Shades of Blue, Navajo, circa 1855.
The serape, or slave blanket, measures 89 inches long by 44 inches wide,
as woven, in a single panel. Dimensions are consistent with the dimensions
of classic Rio Grande and Saltillo Serapes woven between 1750 and 1860.
The majority of classic Rio Grande and Saltillo Serapes were woven in two
vertical, mirror-image panels that were sewn together after being
removed from the loom, creating a vertical seam through their centers.
The serape’s lazy lines, single-panel construction, and three shades of blue
yarn suggest that it was woven by a Navajo woman living as a captive in
a hacienda in northern Mexico.
Currently in a private collection.
Photograph by Joshua Baer - ©2014 navajoblanketappraisals.com
All reproduction rights reserved.
