Woman’s full-length, A-line, colourful robe (chapan), with long tapered sleeves; open at centre front from neck to hemline, no closures; made of red, yellow, dark red-purple and blue warp-ikat silk textile (abr), woven with patterned silk warp and red silk weft, giving the textile a pinkish background. The front opening is wide through the chest area then tapers inward and overlaps slightly at the hemline. Lightly quilted, with cotton batting. Gathering at the sides just under the sleeves. 16 cm vertical slits at each side at the hem. All edges trimmed with narrow green, black and white loop-manipulated warp twined technique. Lined with off-white cotton textile, machine printed with small gray circular motifs; sleeves lined with brown plaid cotton textile; edges of the body of the garments are faced on the inside with bias strips of multi-coloured ikat textile (silk warp, cotton weft); sleeves faced with bias strips of striped cotton textile.

Museum Purchase: Funds from an Aonymous Donor.

This wearing blanket has an all over diamond pattern common to the late nineteenth century. Also typical is the fact it has no border, which weavings intended for rug use often have thus it is probably a wearing blanket.Condition: good. In 1880-1881 the Santa Fe Railroad came through Navajo territory bringing new materials and the potential for new customers for Navajo weavings. As soon as the Germantown 4 ply yarns and commercial aniline dyes became available, Navajo weavers employed them to their full potential. Designs changed from simple stripes and conservative diamond patterns to an explosion of innovation in weaving using new colors not available with natural dyes, such as yellow, orange, green and purple. On this wearing blanket a new wedge- weave development created shimmering effects with a complex exchange of background and foregrounds that uses yellow and red synthetic dyes, a white natural yarn, and indigo dyed homespun yarn. For a decade this break away styling was very popular with non-Native clients and such weavings became known as Eye Dazzlers.