PATTERN BOOK Native American Indian
Native American Indian
PATTERN BOOK
TABLE OF
Origins of Designs
The Nature And Elements Of Native American Art Origins of Designs The Funtion of Art
Explore the History and Culture of Navajo Weaving
The History of the ‘Native-American’ Print
Spirder Woman
Symbols And Motifs In Navajo Weavings Diamond Triangle Spirder Woman Cross Valllero Star Lighting Motifs Whirling Logs
CONTENTS 13 14 16 25 26 34 37 38 40 42 44 46 48
The Nature And Elements Of Native American Art
Origins of Designs
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The origins of most Native American decorative designs cannot be traced accurately today; most of them are lost in antiquity. Many obviously came from natural forms, while others are simple developments of geometric or lineal motifs. Some have become so interwoven with alien concepts—Western, after the advent of the European, for example—that it is impossible to completely unravel their sources. There is evidence, however, that some of the original forms were creations of individual artists and were often the result of a vision quest. To the Indian, the world of the vision quest is mysterious, a place where the soul can leave the body, participate in many strange activities, and see many unusual sights. Since many of the designs seen or creatures encountered during the vision quest are regarded as protective forms or spirit-beings, these would be carefully re-created during waking hours. Non-artists would occasionally describe their dream creatures to a designated artist so that they could be recorded on hide, in wood, or in stone. But since these supernatural visions were extremely personal, they were usually recorded by the individual himself; hence, they vary tremendously in aesthetic quality. 15
The Function of Art Many Indian art objects are basically intended to perform a service—for example, to act as a container or to provide a means of worship. The particular utilitarian form that Native American arts take often reflects the social organization of the cultures involved. Political and military societies seem to have found their major art forms in the world of weaponry, regalia, and panoply. This is most pronounced in the Plains, Aztec, and Inca civilizations, all of which reflect the dominant warrior culture in their arts. 16
Those cultures in which life was heavily governed by religion tended toward a greater degree of ceremonial art than those in which life was less ritualized. All of the aesthetic expressions that have come down from the Maya, for example, obviously reflect the considerable weight of theocracy that existed in their world. Generally, but not necessarily, the best of Indian artwork was applied to those objects intended to please a deity, soothe the angry gods, placate or frighten the evil spirits, and honour the newly born or recently deceased. Through such means, Native Americans sought to control the environment and the human or supernatural beings that surrounded or threatened them. Some specific articles were reserved solely for religious uses, and some were for secular needs alone. Decoration does not always provide a clue as to these uses. Some of the most highly revered religious articles are completely devoid of ornamentation—in fact, they may be rather ugly—while others are highly embellished. 17
Some peoples used plainware bowls for food preparation, while others used polychrome bowls for the same purpose. Many objects served a dual function: normally, they were used for everyday household purposes, yet under a different set of circumstances they could fulfill a religious function. Beneath the surface, there was a magic at work, and, in initiated hands, a mundane article might release its supernatural power, calling upon unseen forces to aid its owner. This power might be visually evident in the form, shape, or decoration of the object or might simply be believed in no matter what the physical state or appearance of the object might be. A Crow warrior’s rawhide shield, for example, might be embellished with a symbolic drawing, as well as with such materials as sacred eagle feathers and a crane’s head, in order to imbue him with such qualities as invulnerability and supernatural swiftness and strength.
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Crow shield of painted rawhide with eagle feathers and crane's head, c. 1850; in the Field Museum, Chicago. Diameter 207 cm.
The aim of the Indian artist was not merely to set down realistic records but to create the semi-magical designs so common in the art of non-Western cultures. He quickly realized that he could not draw a tree as perfectly as it could be made by the Creator; so, with common sense, he did not try. Instead, he sought the spirit or essence of the tree and represented this in his design. Carvings, paintings, effigies, or realistic portraits are not simply pictures of people or objects; they embody the essence of that particular subject as well. This semi-magical character of Native American art is difficult for the Western mind to understand. Not infrequently, the non-Indian will ask, “What does that design mean?” Native Americans often attach names to designs, largely for convenience. Viewers may be confused when an Indian calls a given design a “leaf,” or an “arrowhead,” when what he actually means is that the design is “leaflike,” or “leaf-shaped,” and so on. But the non-Indian immediately translates this to mean that the design signifies a leaf or an arrowhead and tries to impart a narrative to the overall visual concept that is not relevant to the original artist’s work. 20
Not all Indian art, however, was religious or political. There was also a considerable amount of mundane, humorous, and even profane art produced by most cultures. Although much of the eroticism has disappeared in the Puritan fires that continue to burn the Westerner, sufficient examples remain from prehistoric and recent times to indicate a wholly relaxed freedom of expression reflecting a healthy, naturalistic outlook.
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Ritual was often interwoven into the very process of creating Indian art. Western assessment of Native American art often centres on the product rather than the process; Indian artists, however, give exacting attention to the creative process and interact with their materials at all stages of creation. The Iroquois False Face mask, for example, must be carved from the trunk of a living tree— hence the term live mask. The tree is ritually addressed before the carver begins, and the mask and the tree are “fed” tobacco before the two are separated. Such prescribed ritual is of equal, if not more, importance than the artistic skill employed in the production of the work. If the ceremonial acts were ignored, the article would lose its efficacy—and might even prove dangerously counteractive. This ritual aspect, which permeates most of the ceremonial paraphernalia, is extremely complex and must be considered throughout the creation of the work of art.
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Explore the History and Culture of Navajo Weaving
The History of the‘Native-American’ Print A beautifully woven Navajo wool rug—along with silver and turquoise jewelry, pottery, and dried red chile ristras— is one of the more enduring and unique symbols of the American Southwest. But the Navajo rug’s ubiquitousness on the shelves of trading posts and highway gift shops across the region can sometimes obscure its rich (and sometimes complicated) story of nearly 800 years of cultural adaptation and survival.
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Nobody is really certain when the Navajo first took up the art of weaving. Some anthropologists believe that it may have started when the Navajo first arrived in what is today the Southwest in approximately A.D. 1300. The Navajo (or Diné – “The People”) are an Athabaskan people who trace their language and history back thousands of years to northwestern Canada and eastern Alaska. They were originally a nomadic hunter-gatherer people. But according to some anthropologists, after arriving in what is today the Four Corners region, the Navajo encountered the Ancestral Pueblo people from whom they learned to cultivate crops like corn, beans, and squash– and who may have taught them how to weave cotton into clothing and blankets.
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Other experts, though, believe that what you might be able to clearly identify as Navajo weaving didn’t begin until the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors (and their sheep) in the 16th Century. The general lack of surviving pre-Hispanic Pueblo textiles may make the question as to when the Navajo started weaving nearly impossible to answer with any certainty. In any case, the history of modern Navajo weaving is generally accepted to have begun with the arrival of Spanish sheep in the late 1600's. The Spanish conquistadors brought flocks of Iberian Churra sheep with them as they made their way across the region—a particular breed of sheep that was well-suited to the arid region, and produced wool that could be easily spun into long, useful yarns.
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Prior to the middle of the 19th century, the primary colors for Navajo weaving were mostly natural brown, white, and indigo. By the middle of the 1800's the palette expanded to include red, black, green, yellow, and gray—all obtained either from natural sources on Navajo lands or via a circuitous trade route that stretched all the way back to Europe. Weaving plays an important role in the Navajo creation myth, in which a spirit known as "Spider Woman" taught the Navajo how to build and use the first loom from sky, earth, sun, crystals, and lightning. But Navajo rugs aren't part of DinÊ religious ceremonies (so beware of items labeled as "Navajo Prayer Rugs"). In fact, there remains a long-lingering controversy among some over the use of traditional religious symbols and motifs in rugs made for commercial sale—especially to non-Navajo people.
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The first examples of existing Navajo blankets and rugs often featured straight lines, or occasionally diamond or terrace designs. With the greater arrival of white settlers— first after the opening of the Santa Fe Trail in 1822 and then the arrival of the railroad (which brought in cheaper synthetic dyes) in the 1880's, the designs became decidedly more colorful. In terms of design, while many Navajo weavers have taken their inspiration from traditional Navajo cultural motifs, they have also pulled inspiration from many outside sources. In fact, a popular design found on many Navajo rugs found around the turn of the 20th century actually originated (via trading post operators) in the Caucasus region of far southeastern Europe, where traditional weavers worked with many of the same resources as their Navajo counterparts on the other side of the globe.
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The Navajo people have a rich history of beautiful traditions that are proudly passed down from generation to generation; many of which can be seen in the gorgeous weavings and tapestries of the Navajo weavers. Like most storied cultures, the Navajo believe in powerful deities and forces that have guided them on their path through life; be it traveling by the sun’s rays, learning to live in harmony by Changing Woman, or building a framework for life by using the teachings of Spider Woman. As such, there are a few very distinct designs, patterns, and motifs that can be found in both past and present weaving styles. Below are just a few of the more iconic and storied traditions used by weavers young and old.
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Spirder Woman
Being that Spider Woman taught the Navajo how to weave, it’s only fitting she dominates much of the early weaving work done by the Navajo people. That’s why many early blankets featured a cross representing Spider Woman and her teachings. Though methods on placement vary, it’s widely considered taboo to place this cross within a diamond, square or triangle pattern so as not to “trap” her in the work; thus, you’ll often find a hole (figuratively or legitimately) woven into the piece.
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Ray Roberts, Mesa Evening, oil on canvas, 40''x 30'' Figure wearing Navajo Chiefs Blanket with Spider Woman crosses
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Symbols And Motifs In Navajo Weavings
Navajo Weaving Symbols
Diamond Perhaps two of the earliest design elements to be utilized by Navajo weavers are the diamond and the triangle. Many Navajo grandmothers will tell you that the diamond is a symbol of the DinĂŠtah or Navajo homeland with its four sacred corners that are marked by the four sacred mountains.
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Navajo Weaving Symbols
Triangle Triangles are basic building blocks of Navajo design. Placed on top of each other, triangles can become a series of prayer feathers or songs or become the backbone of a mountain Yei figure.
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Navajo Weaving Symbols
Spirder Woman Cross Prior to 1900, old Navajo wearing blankets often carried symbols or motifs that were attached to the teachings of Spider Woman. Many a Navajo grandmother will tell you that crosses represent Spider Woman. The symbol of Spider Woman was given to the earliest weavers to remember her teachings and wisdom.
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Navajo Weaving Symbols
Vallero Star The central motif remained a diamond. However, as the weaving style evolved, the middle diamond motif became more simplified, and was eventually displaced by a central star. The design source could have been inspired by the American pioneer star quilt as has been suggested by some scholars.
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Navajo Weaving Motifs
Lightning Motifs Lightning was the most powerful symbol in the world of the Navajo. In Navajo mythology, lightning was used to make weaving tools but it could also help to define the power of an individual blanket or rug.
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Navajo Weaving Motifs
Whirling Logs This design is recognized by Anglos as a swastika and caused great controversy in the late 1930s. The Navajo people chose not to include it in future weavings after this period. This symbol comes from the Navajo origin myth and was incorporated into weavings as a good luck symbol for gifts or for sale at trading posts. 48