American North and South American Rugs

A vintage American rag rug handmade during the mid-20th century. Measures: 3' 6" x 5' 8" North American rugs & carpets: North American has never developed a unified handmade rug tradition, but rather it is the unassimilated confluence of several. From Mexico comes the Saltillo serape wearing blanket, and this stimulates the Navajo and Rio Grande (Colorado) weavers, first as blankets, then as rugs. The thrifty habits of rural America gave rise to the New England (and Western Canadian) hooked rug types, while the farmers of the Midwest recycled their disused garments into braided and rag rugs. The closest to a real ongoing tradition are the Southwestern (New Mexican) Navajo rugs. By the 1860s the native tribes were weaving wearing blankets with wool from the Spanish churro sheep. These were in stripe design, with combinations of undyed wool with cochineal reds and indigo blues. The multi-phase “Chief’s Blankets” from the 1870s-80s are a natural outgrowth of these. Machine spun red wool from Germantown in Pennsylvania appeared in the 1870s with a bright red hitherto unobtainable. The weavers loved it and blankets appeared with bright reds, generally aniline, in “eye dazzler” patterns. Anglo traders established posts beginning in the 1890s. Navajo weavings were perfect accompaniments not only for Western-themed decors, but for East Coast apartments, only they needed to be thicker and more rug like to be truly accepted. The traders brought Caucasian and Turkish village rugs to copy, borders were introduced and central medallions devised. The weavers continued to create on vertical looms, with a shared warp (dovetailing) weft structure to avoid slits. The warps were cotton string. Sizes were generally scatters, but occasionally a special order came in, hence antique room size Navajos are very rare and very pricey. Distinct village/pueblo styles developed. Among the best are: Two Grey Hills (considered the tightest, closest of all Navajo weaving), Crystal Springs, and Ganado. Certain new patterns such as the “Storm pattern” with jagged lightning bolts emanating from a dark cloud developed. The Yei rug with dancing Kachina doll figures became popular. The palette has been expanded beyond the classic grey, tan, dark brown, and cream natural wool combination to again include reds, blues, and greens. Navajo pictorials include American flags, trains, and automobiles, domestic and local scenes and scenery. Individual artist weavers now command gallery shows and correspondingly elevated prices. There are several levels of Navajo work, and antique and vintage scatters with simple flat designs, medium weaves, and tritonal palettes, and in good floor worthy condition are still available reasonably. The Native American weaving tradition extends into Colorado with two-piece scatters with sharp sawtooth medallions and striped end borders, with wool tapestry weave on cotton warps. These descend from the Saltillo blankets...

74355, distressed antique American hooked oval rug with American Colonial style. Showcasing timeless elegance and rugged beauty, this lovingly time-worn antique American hooked oval ...

A vintage American Rag rug in throw/scatter size handmade during the mid-20th century. Measures: 3' 3" x 6' 5".

Antique American Hooked rug featuring colorful pictorial village scene, rug s12-0806, country of origin / type: United States / Hooked, circa 1920 This American Hooked rug depicts...

74344 Antique American Hooked rug with French Aubusson style. This antique American hand hooked rug with French Aubusson style features a decorative winter and spring floral bouquet ...

Antique Art Nouveau American Hooked Rug, United States, c. 1920. Size: 5 ft 7 in x 8 ft (1.7 m x 2.44 m) This marvelous antique hooked rug, an exceptional piece produced in the United States during the early decades of the twentieth century, features an allover design of stylized flowers and tendrils an almost hypnotic composition. Featuring an eye-catching color pallet of reds, greens, and blues, this exquisite hooked rug typifies the aesthetic values held in highest regard by the Art Nouveau movement. Creating an impression of activity and liveliness, the fine design of this rug exemplifies the vigor and vitality of the best Art Nouveau compositions. The dynamic energy of the swirling tendrils of alternating greens and violets set against the mesmerizing, staid red that dominates the piece creates an impression of movement. Boasting a fetching symmetry, this beautiful antique rug shows four stunning corners, pointedly defined by highly stylized vases, each of which houses a gorgeous arrangement of red flowers. Exquisite detail and dynamic energy reverberate throughout this remarkable antique Art Nouveau carpet...

American Hooked rug create an illusion of depth and texture. The beautifully colorful checkerboard pattern plays like a patchwork quilt that incorporates a multitude of colors and ge...

Antique American Rag rug. Size: 12'8" x 14'8".

77803 Antique Navajo Eye Dazzler Rug, 04'06 x 06'04. Eye Dazzler Navajo rugs, crafted by the indigenous Navajo people of the Southwestern United States, are renowned for their intric...

A vintage American large square American rag rug handmade during the mid-20th century.

Hooked Rug, America, Early 20th Century – Size: 4 ft 5 in x 7 ft 9 in (1.35 m x 2.36 m)

This is a pair of antique American hooked rugs woven during the beginning of the 20th century circa 1900 and measures 108 x 60 CM in size. These oval-shaped r...