How to Identify, Buy, and Care for Navajo Rugs
How to Identify Genuine Navajo Rugs
Navajo Rugs are Made of Wool
Navajo Rugs Are Made in a Weft-faced Weave
Navajo Rugs Usually Lack Fringe
Navajo Rugs Have Edge Cords and Tassels
Navajo Rugs May Have Lazy Lines and Spirit Lines
Selecting and Buying Navajo Rugs
Know Your Dealers
Pattern and Color
Quality of Spinning and Weaving
Age
Size
Condition
Weaver
Caring for Navajo Rugs
Using Your Navajo Rugs
Hanging Your Navajo Rugs
Cleaning Your Navajo Rugs
Storing Your Navajo Rugs
Preventing Moth Damage
How to Identify Genuine Navajo Rugs
The more you know about Navajo weaving, the more you will enjoy the adventure of collecting. Not only will you have greater appreciation of the craftsmanship and design of your rugs, you also will be able to verify (or dispute) age, quality, origin and other information offered by a seller.
Your first step in learning about rugs is to become familiar with typical Navajo weaving designs and how they changed over time. Our History of Navajo Rugs page gives an overview of the evolution of Navajo weaving design, and offers definitions of important terms for collectors.
However, design alone is not a reliable way to identify genuine Navajo rugs. Handweavers in Mexico and India make Navajo-style rugs by the tens of thousands for the U.S market. Most are sold by reputable retailers who identify their country of origin, but we shudder to think what can happen when these rugs are resold. The internet is loaded with merchandise identified as “Indian design” or “Navajo style,” but you have to read the fine print to learn they are not Navajo-made. Unfortunately, some sellers just skip the fine print.
Your best defense is to establish relationships with experienced and reputable dealers who will spend time with you, show you a variety of weavings, and answer all your questions.
A basic familiarity with the technology of Navajo weaving also is essential to the savvy collector as it is the only reliable way to authenticate Navajo rugs. Several key aspects of Navajo weaving technology are outlined in the following paragraphs. Unfortunately it is impossible in this space to identify every permutation and exception to these “rules.” The best way to expand your knowledge and learn the intricacies of Navajo weaving is to hook up with a knowledgeable dealer, look at as many rugs as possible and ask questions, questions, questions.
1. Navajo weavings are made of wool, and most pre-1960s weavings were made with handspun, hand-dyed, single-ply yarns.
Traditionally, the process of weaving began with spring shearing of the weaver’s own sheep. The weaver then cleaned the fleeces, carded the wool, and spun it on a long stick-and-whorl spindle. Although the yarn usually was re-spun once or twice to make it tighter and stronger, it was seldom “plied” or twisted together with another piece of yarn. (The exception was yarns used for selvage cords.) After spinning, the yarn was dyed with aniline dyes (available by the 1860s) or natural dyes. In many cases, however, the wool was left in its natural color array of whites, browns, and greys. Only after all of this preparation of the wool was the weaver ready to prepare the warp, set up the loom, and begin weaving.
In weaving terminology, warp threads are the ones strung on the loom frame, while weft (also called “woof”) threads are those woven through the warps. In Navajo weaving, both the warp and the weft yarns are wool.
The important exception to this rule occurred in the Late Classic and Transitional Periods (about 1865–1895) when the US Government and traders on the Reservation supplied Navajo weavers with cotton string for use as warps. By the beginning of the Rug Period, at the turn of the last century, traders were encouraging weavers to return to handspun wool warps in their rugs so they could sell them as 100% Native handmade items. Cotton warps also appear in many “Gallup Throws”—small mats made as inexpensive tourist wares in the first half of the 20th century.
The Late Classic and Transitional Periods also provided a major exception to the general use of handspun yarns. Because the US Army had slaughtered most of the Navajo’s flocks preceding the internment at Bosque Redondo, the government supplied weavers with machine-spun, pre-dyed yarn from the eastern US and Europe. Generically referred to as “Germantown,” these commercial yarns typically were three-ply, although some four-ply Germantowns also were used.
Commercially spun and dyed yarns made a widespread reappearance in the 1960s and are the general rule in contemporary rug weaving. Buying commercial yarns rather than going through the laborious process of shearing, cleaning, carding, spinning, and dyeing means that the weaver can produce more rugs in the same amount of time, thereby increasing her income. A few weavers interested in reviving traditional practices still spin and dye their own yarn, and a number of the most skilled weavers insist on dying their yarns so they can carefully control the color palette of their weavings.
2. Navajo weavings are weft-faced with discontinuous weft yarns, and both sides of the weaving are identical. (This is easier than it sounds.)
The type of weave used by the Navajo is very straightforward: a weft yarn goes over one warp, under the next one, over the one after that, and so on. The next weft yarn reverses the order, going under the first warp, over the next and so on. After each yarn is put in place, it is pounded against the previous one with a wooden comb. This type of weave covers the warps completely, thus the weavings are weft-faced, as only the weft yarns show on both sides of the finished textile. This type of weave also makes both faces identical in appearance. There is no front or back on Navajo weavings and you never see the loose ends of threads on either face of the rug.
On most Anglo-American textiles, each weft thread extends all the way across the width of the weaving. The weft thread is wound in a shuttle which is passed through all the warps in a single motion, and then passed back in the opposite direction. On Navajo textiles, however, each weft yarn only extends across the width of its specific color area in the rug’s pattern. The yarn is passed back in the opposite direction when the edge of a color area is reached, not just at the sides of the weaving. This is discontinuous weft. Where the color areas join, the different color yarns interlock at the point where they both reverse direction. This gives the vertical joints between color areas a toothed or dovetailed appearance. The weft-faced/discontinuous weft technique is called tapestry weave.
 
Toothed vertical joints between color areas on a somewhat coarsely woven rug (left) and a
finely woven rug (right.) Horizontal joints (parallel to wefts) are not toothed.
There are a few small exceptions to the rule of plain tapestry weave. Some nineteenth century Navajo blankets were made with a twill weave. They are still weft-faced, but the wefts pass over more than one warp at a time and are staggered, giving the appearance of a diagonal weave. Navajo saddle cinches traditionally were made in twill weave, and throughout the twentieth century, some weavers produced twill saddle blankets.
A very small number of Navajo rugs exist with different patterns on each face. Most of these are a weft-faced double weave and, as might be predicted, are thicker than plain tapestry weave. A few weavers are still producing them, mostly as virtuoso saddle blankets.
In “raised outline” rugs, developed in the 1960s, the weft yarns pass over two warps—not one—where color areas join. This thickens the joint and makes it more prominent, hence the name.
Navajo belts or sashes traditionally are made with a “warp-float” weave in which warp threads may pass over several wefts at a time and remain exposed to make up part of the decorative pattern of the sash.
3. Navajo weavings usually do not have fringe.
In most weaving technologies around the world—except Navajo and Pueblo weaving—warp threads are individually tied onto the loom. Several weavings may be created on one very long set of warps which are wound at either end around big spindles on the loom. In order to separate the finished textiles from the loom and from each other, the warps are cut several inches beyond the first and last weft, and the loose warp ends are knotted together to keep the wefts intact. These knotted warp ends comprise the fringe you see on the ends of Mexican, Middle-Eastern, Indian, Chinese and other rugs and blankets.
Navajo (and Pueblo) weavings do not have fringe because of the use of a continuous warp. This means that all of the warps comprise just a single piece of yarn wound up and down over the top and bottom beams of the loom. The warps are not cut when the rug is finished. A feature of continuous warp weaving is that all four edges of the textile are selvage edges. The weft selvage (which is seen on all loomed textiles) is on the sides, and is where the weft threads reverse direction. But Navajo textiles also have warp selvages, on the ends, where the warp thread reverses direction back down through the wefts.
Warp selvage on a Navajo rug with the warp
thread showing as white dots where it reverses
direction. There is no fring on the ends of most
Navajo weavings.
The use of continuous warp presents a unique challenge to the weaver. As she nears the end of the weaving, the space through which she passes the weft yarn becomes smaller and smaller until the warp openings are just tiny loops. Therefore she must use a needle to insert the last several layers of warp threads. On older rugs, it often is possible to see a marked changed in the texture at the end: it often is thinner, the yarns are less tightly beaten together, and tiny bits of the warp may show. This is usually very forgivable in rugs from the early twentieth century, but contemporary weavers see any change in texture at the end of the rug as a sign of inadequate skill.
There are two types of exceptions to the “no fringe” rule. Some very fine and collectible blankets of the Germantown era were woven with cotton string warps which sometimes were cut and tied into a sort of thin, short warp fringe. Similarly, Gallup Throws of the first half of the 20th century often were cut from the loom. Cutting and tying the warps saved the weaver a great deal of time and effort which was important on these inexpensive tourist items. Navajo rugs, however, never have cut warps.
Some early Navajo weavings have applied fringes rather than fringes made from cut warps. Again, in the Germantown era, applied fringes were quite popular. They consisted of short pieces of yarn that were looped through the warp selvage yarns at the ends of the blanket, and then knotted. Each piece of yarn thus made two strings of the fringe. Typically, the applied fringes were done in alternating blocks of color and were made of fatter, looser yarns than the blanket itself. Therefore the colors in the fringe were not always found in the blanket. In some cases, the fringe was applied only at the corners, giving the appearance of a broad, flat tassel.
Many fancy saddle blankets, made well into the twentieth century, also had applied fringes. Often, the fringe would only be at the bottom of the saddle blanket—the edge that showed most clearly when the blanket was on the saddle. Corner fringes also were commonly used on saddle blankets.
4. Navajo weavings have plied selvage cords (also called edge cords) and integral corner tassels.
When the Navajo weaver warps her loom, she weaves two three-ply yarns through the warps at the top and bottom of the loom where the warps reverse direction. These yarns become the warp selvage cords (last two weft yarns) on each end of finished weaving. If you look carefully at the ends of a rug, you can see that the selvage cords are fatter than the weft yarns, and you can see a tiny bit of the warp yarn emerge and wrap around one of the cords before it disappears back down between the wefts.
After the loom is warped, two weft selvage cords hang at each side of the warp set. As the weaver places the weft yarns in the web, she captures one edge cord at a time in the weft as it reverses direction at the right or left edge of the weaving. Typically, the weaver captures the same cord with several consecutive wefts before capturing the other cord with several consecutive wefts. This means only one edge cord is visible at a time (the other cord is buried in the wefts.) Together, the cords give the appearance of large whip stitches on the edges of the weaving. Sometimes, the weaver will use edge cords of a contrasting color to heighten the decorative effect.
Weft selvage cords (edge cords) in a contrasting color.
When the weaving is finished the loose ends of four cords hang at each corner: two warp and two weft selvage cords. The Navajo weaver knots the four loose ends together to create small corner tassels. Sometimes she will add a few extra pieces of yarn, sewn through the fabric, to make the tassel more substantial. Instead of using two separate pieces of yarn for the two warp selvage cords, some weavers use a single yarn that is doubled over. As a result, two of the corner tassels will consist of a loop of yarn plus two loose ends; the other two tassels will consist of four loose yarn ends.
  
Typical tassels with four loose ends. Tassel with loop (warp selvage cord Tassels with extra yarns added.
doubled over.)
When looking at older rugs it is important to remember that the corner tassels are the most vulnerable part of the weaving and sometimes are worn away. Unless the entire corner is missing, however, you should be able to see the four selvage cord ends knotted together at each corner.
Traditionally, Navajo weavers used two three-ply selvage cords while Pueblo weavers used three two-ply cords. This difference often can be used to identify the origin of a weaving, although many exceptions do exist.
5. Navajo weavings usually have “lazy lines” and occasionally have “spirit lines.”
Considering the time and skill required to make a Navajo rug, the term “lazy lines” is a real misnomer. Simply stated, lazy lines are joints between weaving areas. They result from the use of discontinuous wefts and the stationary, vertical loom of the Navajo.
The Navajo loom is upright, i.e. the warp threads are held in the vertical position. The weaver sits on the floor and weaves from the bottom, up. With discontinuous wefts, the weaver need not apply each layer of weft across the entire width of the rug, but can work in a limited area of the warp set. Typically, the weaver will work the area that is within easy reach, and then reposition herself left or right to work another area with easy reach. The weaving stays put but the weaver moves in order to access different parts of the warp. Where the worked areas meet, the wefts are not interlocked and they leave a visible joint: the lazy line. Lazy lines are always diagonal and they are always within a color area; they do not separate color areas.
 
Lazy line running diagonally across the red Two lazy lines on a Teec Nos Pos
color area of this c. 1920 storm pattern rug. rug c. 1930. Note that the weaver
used a new dye-lot of yarn when she
moved from the working areas at
bottom to the one at the top.
Lazy lines can be seen on most Navajo weavings except for very small rugs. Pueblo weavers did not use lazy lines. Contemporary weavers consider them undesirable and have become very skilled at hiding them.
Uninformed viewers often mistake lazy lines for repairs. (One visitor to our gallery passed up a great buy because he could not be convinced that the lazy lines were not really repairs. A more knowledgeable customer snapped up the rug moments later.) However, a true repair would rarely take the distinctive diagonal form of lazy lines. Moreover, there are so many lazy lines in most rugs that, if they were really tears, the rug would have been in shreds and not worth repairing. You should want to see lazy lines in older rugs not only because they are evidence of authenticity but because they also can enhance the weaving’s visual appeal.
Spirit lines (also called “spirit trail” or “weaver’s pathway”) consist of one or two weft threads of contrasting color that run from the interior design out to the edge of the rug. They are found on rugs with borders and are usually located near the top end of the rug.
A Spirit Line runs across the border of a
c. 1930 Navajo Crystal Rug.
The use of borders on Navajo rugs was derived from oriental rug patterns; it is not endemic to Native weaving traditions. Some weavers initially were suspicious about making a design element that appeared to be enclosing or confining. The spirit line countered the border's negative symbolism. It prevented the weaver’s spirit or creative energy from being trapped in the weaving and gave hope of even greater creative endeavors the next time.
Spirit lines in contemporary textiles are often found on rugs made in the area of Two Grey Hills, New Mexico, although weavers from other areas have incorporated them. Their use and their specific meaning is highly personal and varies from weaver to weaver. Many weavers choose not to include the spirit line. Therefore it is not an accurate test of an authentic Navajo rug. We estimate that about 25% of weavings made between 1900 and the 1950's have spirit lines.
Selecting and Buying Navajo Rugs
1. Know Your Dealers
The number one rule of buying is to get acquainted with reputable dealers who have years of experience buying and selling Navajo rugs. Don’t be shy about asking questions such as how long they have been in the business, how long in their current location, and how many rugs they sell in a year.
Most importantly, ask if the dealer will guarantee each weaving’s age and authenticity. At minimum, ask that the date and origin of the rug be written on the receipt along with size and description. Better yet, ask for a certificate of authenticity which includes a photograph of the rug along with the pertinent information.
Once you have established good relationships and are comfortable with your chosen dealers, you’ll need a few criteria to help you select the best weavings in your price range. You also should refer to your list of criteria to make sure you consider all of the important quality factors. For example, it’s easy to get carried away by a spectacular design or favorite color, only to get the rug home and realize that the quality of the weave is not up to your standard. Here are the factors you should keep in mind when buying Navajo rugs.
2. Pattern and Color
Artistic quality is what everyone responds to first, and it will to be the most important factor in your continued enjoyment of the rug. Of course, design also is the most subjective criterion. Nevertheless there are a few points to keep in mind when evaluating pattern and color. Is the color combination pleasing? Is there too much or too little contrast in coloration? Do the colors work effectively with the pattern to enhance its impact? Are the colors balanced, or does one color seem to “pop out” too much? Is the pattern balanced, i.e. do some areas appear weak, are some areas too busy, or are there awkward voids? Does the pattern look like a unified whole?
Beyond this, trust your instincts and buy a rug because you think it’s beautiful, not because someone else told you it was valuable or desirable.
3. Quality of Spinning and Weaving
As a general rule, collectors most value rugs that have tightly spun weft yarns that are tightly pounded together to create a dense and somewhat stiff weaving. (Handspun blankets generally are softer and less stiff.) Warp yarn should not be visible except where it turns at each end of the weaving.
One of the reasons Germantown blankets are so highly prized is that their machine-spun yarns allowed weavers to make very thin, tight weavings so dense they were nearly waterproof.
Most rugs made from the 1890s to the 1950s were woven from hand-spun yarns, as the traders wanted to market products that were completely handmade by Native craftspeople. The quality of spinning and tightness of weave vary greatly among early rugs. Generally speaking, the finer the weave the more time it took to make the rug. A fine rug of medium size (say, about 5’ x 7’) could take 4 to 6 months ore more on the loom.
Contemporary Navajo rugs usually are made with machine-spun and commercially dyed yarn because it significantly reduces the amount of time a weaver spends on a rug and thereby increases her income. As a result, commercial yarns do not “count against” a contemporary rug so long as they are relatively fine and the rug is tightly woven. Conversely, a well-made contemporary rug with fine, even, hand-spun yarns is a real find. In the past few decades, some weavers have occasionally used polyester rather than woolen yarns in their rugs, but such weavings are not considered as collectible.
In addition to density, it is important to look for evenness and consistency in the weave. The warp threads should be arrow straight and evenly spaced. The surface of the rug should not appear “nubby,” but should have a smooth, flat, and even texture. The wefts all should be pounded together to the same density, i.e. the number of weft threads per inch should be consistent across the entire rug. Joints between color areas should be straight and even, as should the sides of the rug. The rug should lie flat without cupping or wavy edges, and it should be the same width at both ends.
Except for Yeis and pictorials, the designs of Navajo rugs almost always show two-axis symmetry: i.e. they are symmetrical both side to side and end to end. Some collectors check symmetry by folding a rug corner to corner to see if the design matches and the center of the design falls exactly in the center of the rug.
Contemporary weavers value exact symmetry as a vital technical skill and, indeed, it is difficult to achieve. Because Navajo rugs are made with a continuous warp, the rug cannot be lengthened or shortened during the weaving process to make the pattern come out even. This not only means the design layout has to be precisely calculated (amazingly, this almost always is done in the weaver’s head), but the pounding together has to be perfectly consistent, and the weaver must know just how much the warp threads are likely to stretch as weaving progresses. All of this takes years to master.
In the early twentieth century, the older Navajo women who had grown up weaving striped blankets had little experience making the complicated, two-axis designs that traders wanted in rugs. As a result, it is not uncommon to see a design that is not exactly centered in the length of the rug, or to see a portion of the design squeezed down or left out because the design turned out to be longer than the rug.
Although symmetry still is desired in older rugs it is not reasonable to expect perfection, and the corner-to-corner test is irrelevant. Finding an early rug that is perfectly symmetrical should be considered an unexpected bonus. Many collectors, however, prefer old rugs exactly because they are less precise, more quirky, and have a great deal of character. Precision does not always equal charm and beauty.
It is also important to remember that the early rug weavers often wove inconsistencies into their designs on purpose. There are several theories about why this was done; the most common notion is that making an imperfect object showed the weaver’s humility. Whatever the explanation, these inconsistencies are often subtle and clever—and they clearly are not “mistakes.”
4. Age
In the world of art, age increases value. This is partially because old things put us in touch with a time long gone, but also because the older things are, the rarer they tend to be. This certainly is true with Navajo wearing blankets made prior to the 1880s. Their extreme rarity, as well as quality of design and weave, put most examples well beyond the $10,000 price range. Very early examples of Chiefs blanket designs or classic blankets may well bring up to a half a million dollars. This is why a qualified dealer or expert in the field should examine any blanket quality Navajo weaving to asses its age and rarity.
Nevertheless, the correlation between age, rarity, and price is not absolute, particularly with rugs. Within the era of handspun rugs (1890s – 1950s) the older the rug, the more valuable it is likely to be if other factors are mostly equal. However, many Transitional Period handspun blankets are sold at lower prices than rugs made decades later. This is because the blankets tend to have coarser weaves and simpler banded patterns (which make many transitional blankets a great value for the collector.)
Similarly, contemporary rugs are frequently more expensive than the equivalent handspun rug of the early 20th century. Again, fineness of weave may play a factor, but the reputation of the weaver and her ability to negotiate with off-reservation galleries has (appropriately and deservedly) raised the prices of better weavings quite substantially over the past few decades.
In the end, most collectors choose weavings of a certain age because they like the design and character of rugs from that era.
5. Size
There is a direct correlation, of course, between size and price if all other factors are roughly equal. Although there certainly is no standardization in the world of Navajo rugs, most rugs made for the floor will be a minimum of about 2’ x 3’ and a maximum of about 5’ x 8’, with a great deal of variation in proportions. Rugs longer than 8 feet are not very common and rugs longer than 12 feet are seldom seen on the market. “Room-size” rugs and large runners always were special commissions. These larger rugs command a premium, both because of their rarity and because of the amazing technical feat they represent. Imagine stringing the continuous warp on a loom 6' or 8' wide.
5. Condition
Condition is a critical factor in pricing and choosing Navajo rugs. Of course, the older the rug, the more you should be willing to accept small spots or holes. A few dings on a 75 or 100 year old rug should be considered badges of honor for a long life of service.
Nevertheless, if a rug under consideration is in less than perfect condition, the two things you should ask yourself are: can it be used in its current condition without exacerbating the damage and, if I get it repaired, will I have more money in it than the rug is worth? The price of a rug always should take condition into account.
Small holes in which a few weft threads are broken present little danger of worsening even if the rug is walked on every day. Holes which include broken warp threads are a bit more serious, but small breaks also will remain stable. Broken or partially missing edge cords also are relatively minor condition problems.
Problems that may be exacerbated by use include: weft yarns that are badly frayed at the selvedge edges, missing corners (often due to dogs) or missing ends (the rug was cut down to “remove” damage), and surface wear or moth damage that exposes patches of warp threads.
If the rug has serious damage or you just want it to be perfect again, get an estimate from an experienced restorer of Navajo weavings. Small holes or broken edge cords are surprisingly inexpensive to repair. Fixing major fraying, worn patches, and bleeding are much bigger undertakings, and the cost of repair may exceed the value of the rug.
Most older rugs will benefit from a professional cleaning (see “Cleaning” below) but never attempt to wash a rug yourself and never have it dry-cleaned. A good cleaning can dramatically change the appearance of a dingy rug, bringing out hidden color and contrast, and making it look like new. Remember, however, that wool is a natural fiber and some stains cannot be removed. Ask the seller if the rug has been cleaned recently. If it has, and it still has stains, they probably are permanent.
6. Weaver
Most rugs on the market today--especially older rugs--cannot be traced to a specific weaver. During the trading post era, traders seldom thought it important to identify rugs by weaver or to pass that information on to customers. Navajo culture, which stresses the importance of family and community over individual achievement, also provided little impetus to commemorate individual weavers. Therefore, it is very rare for a rug from the handspun period (1890s – 1950s) to be associated with a specific maker.
As the trading post system declined in the 1960s and 1970s, the more skilled and experienced weavers were sought out by gallery owners who were accustomed to identifying artwork by maker whenever possible. Nowadays, contemporary rugs often are sold with a photo of the weaver holding the rug.
Some collectors enjoy having the weaver’s name whether or not she or he is well known. As a general rule, however, the maker’s name is not a significant factor in desirability and price unless she is considered one of the top weavers with a long reputation for outstanding quality work.
Caring for Navajo Rugs
Navajo rugs not only are beautiful adornments for your home, they are extremely durable floor coverings that will literally last a lifetime. Here are a few tips that will help you keep your rugs in top shape for years to come.
Using Your Navajo Rugs.
Any room in the house is a great place for a Navajo rug. They are an art form made to be walked on. You can even use them in high traffic areas if you just remember that they must be cleaned regularly to prevent dirt from abrading and cutting the woolen fibers (see “Cleaning” below).
Also be aware that the hand-dyed colors in most older rugs are not colorfast and will “bleed” if they get soaked. This doesn’t mean that Navajo rugs can’t be used in kitchens, entry halls, or other occasionally damp places. For these situations, choose a rug made with all natural wool colors (be sure the blacks are not over-dyed) and bleeding will not be an issue. Although a bit of damp is easily tolerated, never allow Navajo rugs to become saturated: remember they are made of wool and can shrink or warp.
The most important caution on rug placement is to avoid direct sunlight. This is especially critical for dyed rugs, but even natural wool colored rugs will be harmed by the ultraviolet rays of the sun. If you want to use rugs in a sunny spot, consider coating your window glass with colorless, ultraviolet-blocking film. (There are some dyes that won't fade, indigo being the most common. Its blue hue will still be very vibrant even after the fading of even natural wools. Nevetheless these dyes are seldom used in 20th century rugs.)
No matter where you place your Navajo rugs, be sure to use dense, fiber rug pads—not foam rubber—and rotate the rugs to ensure that one area is not receiving excessive traffic.
Hanging Your Navajo Rugs
If your rugs are destined for the wall, our favorite way to hang them is Velcro. Buy 2” wide Velcro with the adhesive back and cut a strip that is 1” shorter than the width of the rug. You’ll be using the “male” Velcro strip with the tiny loops, not the fibrous “female” strip. (Do not buy so-called “industrial strength” Velcro: it does not work at all.) Apply the male strip directly to the wall so its top edge is about 1/2 ” below where you want the top of the rug to be. Stick your rug directly to the Velcro. You do not need to use the female strip because most rugs have enough knap to keep them attached all by themselves.
If your rug has very little knap, or is exceptionally large or heavy and is not sticking very well, run additional Velcro strips down the sides of the rug. Also use Velcro squares to “pin” the bottom corners to the wall to ensure the rug hangs flat and even. If your rug still is too heavy, you'll have to buy some non-adhesive Velcro and sew the female strip to your rug, or use the cloth sleeve method described below.
If you have deeply textured plaster or don’t like the idea of gluing the Velcro to your wall, tack it to a thin board or piece of lath and screw the board to the wall.
A second hanging option that does not harm the rug, but takes a great deal of time and effort, is to sew a cloth sleeve on the rug and hang it on a pole. Take a strip of sturdy cloth about 8" wide and about 1" shorter than the width of the rug. Double it over lengthwise and sew it to the rug so the folded over edge is just below the top of the rug. Sew it to the rug with two lines of stitches running the length of the sleeve (width of the rug.) One line should be near the edge of the sleeve fabric where the two loose edges overlap, and the other line of stitching should make the doubled-over strip into a tubular sleeve that is just a bit larger than the diameter of the pole you will run through it. Hand sew the sleeve or make sure your sewing machine is set for low tension so you don’t put creases in the rug.
We do not recommend using wooden or metal “rug hangers” that pinch the end of the rug. They crush the yarns and can leave a permanent dent. They also obscure the end of your beautiful rug. For the same reasons, do not use clamps or binder clips.
Definitely do not nail your rug to the wall or use carpet tacking strips. Nails and tacks put too much pressure on a small number of threads and can pull holes in the weaving. In humid climates, nails and tacks can rust—even without becoming wet—and will cause permanent staining.
Cleaning Your Navajo Rugs
Like any other rugs in your home, Navajo weavings simply require regular vacuuming. Use a vacuum head without brushes (especially no rotating brushes) and vacuum both sides each time you clean. Turning the rugs will ensure a more thorough cleaning and will prevent moth larvae from hatching on the undersides. If your rugs are hanging, it still is necessary to vacuum the dust periodically and check the back side for evidence of moths.
Never wash or dry-clean Navajo rugs. Washing will cause colors to run and will permanently stretch and distort the rug so that it will never lie flat again. Dry cleaning also can damage colors and will permanently alter the texture of the weaving. We’ve seen hundreds of fine rugs ruined by well-meaning but improper care; their value reduced to near zero.
When it comes time to have your rugs washed, trust their care only to specialists with experience in Navajo textiles. If someone in your area offers Navajo rug cleaning, ask to see rugs they’ve worked on and ask how many rugs they clean in a typical year. If you can’t find anyone in your area, remember that rugs are easy and cheap to ship. There are a number of qualified firms in the Southwest who will give you reliable service.
Storing Your Navajo Rugs
It seems a shame to deny yourself the pleasure of seeing your rugs everyday. But if you must store rugs for long periods, it is best to roll them and wrap the roll in a clean sheet or towel. Roll them in the direction of the warp, i.e. after the rug is rolled, the weft threads should run the length of the roll. Do not wrap rugs in plastic because moisture can be trapped inside and discolor or rot the rug and promote infestation.
If rolling is impractical (e.g. the rug is too large) and you must fold it, make the first two folds parallel to the weft yarns. Then fold the rug in thirds parallel to the warp threads. This will help prevent permanent creases.
A cedar chest is an excellent place to store rugs, but cedar blocks or strips also can help deter insect pests. (Cedar should not come into direct contact with the rugs.) Remember to check your stored rugs every few months for signs of moths or carpet beetles. After checking, reroll or refold the textile so the side formerly on the outside is now on the inside. Also when refolding, do it a little off-center so the folds do not fall in exactly the same places as before.
A Few Notes on Preventing Moth Damage
The best preventive for moth damage is to keep your rugs clean and inspect them regularly .We do not recommend moth-proofing because of the chemical residue it leaves on textiles. Moth balls are acceptable so long as they never come into direct contact with the weaving. Remember, however, that mothballs are toxic and it takes weeks of airing to remove the mothball smell from your rugs. Cedar is the most pleasant moth proofing material but it is not 100% effective.
Wool moths are very small (about 1/4 of an inch long.) These unassuming creatures have a lazy, gentle flight pattern, but don't let that fool you: they are real trouble if they get into your textiles and lay eggs. The moths want to lay their eggs on your rug because the wool is food for the hatchlings. From the eggs will emerge little moth larvae whose only purpose in life is to gorge themselves so they can metamorphose. It is these tiny worms--not the adult moths--that eat the wool.
As the moths metamorphose from eggs to larvae to adults, they leave tell-tale traces you should learn to look for. When inspecting your rugs, first look for small bits of white cottony substance. This "silk" is the remains of either the egg casing after the eggs have hatched, or the cocoon that encased the larva when it transformed into an adult. Also look for a fine, sandy material. This is fecal matter from the lavae's feeding frenzy on your wool. Finally, you may see a small, papery, worm-shaped shell which is skin that the larva molted or shed as it grew. These castings (which have the color and texture of onion skin) are small, as the moth larvae are less than 1/4" long.
 
Tell-tale signs of moth larvae: bits of white "silk," Characteristic damage from moth larvae.
sandy-looking fecal material, and a brown molted
larva skin (upper left.)
It is relatively easy to tell moth damage from other types of injuries. Frequently, the "moth hole" takes the form of a meandering channel. Sometimes it is a wider hole of irregular shape. In both cases, however, the edge of the channel or hole is very sharp and well-defined; the the cut threads are not frayed or loose. Holes often show on only one face of the rug. Moth larvae also prefer certain wools over others. Natural tans and camel colors seem to be their favorites.
If you see any signs of active moth larvae or moth damage, immediately vacuum both sides of the rug and discard the vacuum bag. Then wrap the rug in a plastic garbage bag and place it in a freezer for 48 hours. Remove the rug from the freezer (but keep it in the bag) and let it return to room temperature for one week before freezing it a second time for 48 hours. This double freezing regimen will not only kill active larvae and adults, but it will allow any existing eggs to hatch between freezings so that the larvae can then be killed by the second freezing.
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