Description: Navajo Textiles is a nuanced account of the historical context of the Navajo weavings in the Crane Collection at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science--one of the largest collections of Navajo textiles inthe world. Bringing together the work of anthropologists and indigenous artists, the book explores the Navajo rug trade in the mid-nineteenth century and changes in the Navajo textile market while highlighting the museum's important, though still relatively unknown, collection of Navajo textiles.
Review Quotes: "An extant demonstration of the vitality of Navajo weaving . . . this collection will be enjoyed by both the lay person and the connoisseur."
--Jennifer Nez Denetdale, University of New Mexico
--Jennifer McLerran, Northern Arizona University "[A] book that will be coveted by curators in regional museums, libraries, private collectors, tourists in Navajo Country and visitors to the museum in Denver's City Park, who have been beguiled by the beautiful rugs and other hand-woven textiles. The eye-catchers in this dazzling volume are Navajo weavings of amazing quality. The designs, materials and meticulous workmanship in these textiles will take the breath away."
--The Denver Post "The 57 plates of Navajo weaving are extraordinary, as are the dual narratives by both Anglo and Navajo scholars. This approach enriches understanding of the textiles and clarifies the critical nature of a multidisciplinary approach to scholarship. This book is an important resource for interdisciplinary work in anthropology and art history, and artists will find the book's visual and written narrative inspirational. Highly recommended."
--CHOICE