Chief Blanket

Navajo weaving began as a way to stay warm. In the late 1600s, the Navajo learned the art of weaving clothing to protect them from the elements from their Pueblo neighbors. By the early 1700s, they were already acclaimed as the finest weavers in the Southwest.

Today, some weavers have returned to those early designs for modern creations. The most commonly woven modern reproduction is the "Chief Blanket," a man's wearing blanket from the "Classic Period" of Navajo weaving. The three (some experts say four) phases of "Chief Blanket" design include a "First Phase" of horizontal bands of alternating colors. "Second Phase" blankets include bars of solid color in the bands, and "Third Phase" blankets have triangles and diamonds on a banded background. The most common blanket woven today is the "Third Phase," which is woven in several colors and sizes from blanket size to small reproductions. The larger ones will still keep you warm.