Crystal

Geometric Designs Evolving to Banded and Vegetal Dyed

There are two distinct periods in the Navajo rug style called “Crystal”, and both come from the Crystal Trading Post in the Chuska Mountains of New Mexico. Under the influence of J. B. Moore in the early 1900s, the Crystal rug was a distinctive bordered geometric composition, often with hooks, frets, and whirling logs. There are many surviving rugs from this era, and to this day weavers frequently take inspiration from these well-known designs.

Beginning in the 1940s, the Crystal rug became known as a banded, vegetal-dyed weaving without a border. Like the Burntwater and Wide Ruins styles, plant dyes give the Crystal its characteristic soft earth tones and pastels. Another defining feature is the presence of bands of alternating wavy lines between the more prominent bands of primary design.

Learn More: The JB Moore Catalogue and the Evolution of the Navajo Crystal Style Weavings