When buying a Navajo rug or blanket it is vital that you do some research prior to making your final selection. Real Navajo rugs and blankets are hand-crafted works of art that are produced according to conventional cultural customs. Many of the rugs being sold as Navajo rugs are actually mass produced copies which do not have the beauty or the durability of the real thing. It’s important to keep an eye out for crimes when buying a Navajo rug or blanket. Your best shot is to buy from a dealer with a rep for truth and quality.
You can find Navajo rugs and blankets at a spread of different places including thrift stores, antique stores, swap meets, and garage sales. There is also typically a selection of them for sale from online auction sites. There are a few things you need to look for when selecting a Navajo rug or blanket so you know you are buying the real thing.
Almost all authentic Navajo blankets will not have fringes. If the rug you are interested in has a fringe possibilities are it’s not authentic, except in some very rare circumstances. Navajo rugs will sometimes also not have ridges at the ends. Occasionally these ridges are the results of a seller making an attempt to remove the fringe to make the rug look more authentic. The majority of the time you may find a selvage cord on a Navajo rug. These are sometimes used by a Navajo weaver to help them keep a straight edge.
Occasionally people love the look of a Navajo rug or blanket but aren’t prepared to pay the pricetag for authentic pieces. There are many top quality reproductions being produced in Mexico these days that may cost much less than you can expect to pay for an authentic Navajo rug or blanket. There are also some good reproductions made in Romania, Russia, Pakistan, and India. Be aware that items made in many of these nations are frequently produced using kid labor.
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