Serape

These two transitional Navajo weavings—popularly known by Euro-Americans as "eye dazzlers"—are handspun versions of the Germantown (PA) blankets woven during the 1880s. They derive from a revival of yarn spinning by Navajo weavers after the slowed production of machine-spun, synthetic-dyed knitting yarns at mills outside of Philadelphia. Euro-American demand for these brightly colored designs prompted Native weavers to dye their white handspun yarns with synthetic dyes acquired through trading posts on the Navajo reservation. This market production helped to create livelihoods for weavers while also establishing a taste for this genre of textiles. The thicker weavings lent themselves to use as rugs, widely collected by non-Natives in the early 20th century, including the founders of the American Wing, Emily and Robert de Forest.