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1900 Storm pattern.jpg (12269 bytes) Storm Pattern Rug, circa: 1900-1910

This rug from our collection is a great example of a weaving which points to a specific time in history which is well documented in the study of Southwest weaving. When the Indian trader, J.B. Moore first took over the Crystal trading post on the Navajo reservation in the late 1890’s,  he looked for a way to make the weavings and other crafts of the Navajo more sellable to the eastern population.  This eye toward marketing  helped his bottom line and also gave the Navajos he depended on a new market for their crafts. His idea was to produce a catalog with pictures and descriptions of the weavings that he had for sale.

Cover of the 1911 J.B. Moore Catalog  JBMOORE Catalog cover.jpg (10499 bytes)

Thus, the J.B.Moore catalog of Navajo weaving found its way east. These catalogs were one of the first in the world to contain full color pictures of his weavings. Over the years he owned the trading post, J.B.Moore introduced new design elements that he thought would sell better in the east. He also gave recognition to the weavers, which one can tell from his catalog,  he greatly respected. He was the first to print the names of the weavers and give them credit for their designs. The picture of the storm pattern rug in the 1911 catalog has the following caption:

PLATE XXVIII
Special Design and Weave by "Dug-gau-eth-lun bi Dazhie"

In his catalog description of this pattern, he weaves a tale of Navajo mythology and mystery and then tells about his pricing plan for these weavings. His price range for this type of weaving was $.90 to $1.00 per square foot. The rug in my collection would have cost from $19.80 to $22.00 and came with a money back guarantee. Because of the handmade aspect of  these and all southwest weavings, it was impossible to make any rugs identical so variations can be seen in this and other styles in rugs from this time..

The Storm Pattern rug from our collection:
This rug was found stacked in a pile of other weavings in a local used book store. In all, there were 8 Navajo weavings in this pile. After much back and forth negotiations. I was able to purchase the whole pile of weavings for around $800.00. This is a lot of money for me so I was shell shocked over the price I paid and it was some time before I could see that these rugs were a great buy. 

  • When looking for collectibles don't forget the Used Book Shop.   They tend to have more
    than books!   I have many items in my collection that I have stumbled on in used book shops. 
    In one Store I found a wonderful weaving being used as a table cover in a display of old
    magazines.  When I ask to purchase the weaving I heard the music a collector lives for...
    "You want that old thing?".   For $8.00 I walked out with a nice North Mexico
    table runner, circa 1930.

This storm pattern rug is unique in that it is woven from a very soft wool. This wool is found in many older weavings which were used as wearing blankets. The best way to describe the feel is to compare it to an over-cooked noodle, very "floppy". This weaving needed some restoration because of some color run from the red into the cream-white areas. Its' age puts this rug very close to the time this pattern was first introduced by Moore. I have shown this weaving to two well known textile experts, and both agree this weaving is dated correctly. The condition is Good-Intact, with color bleeding and some dark stains.

For reprints and information on the J.B.Moore catalog you can contact:

Avanyu Publishing Inc.
P.O.Box 27134
Albuquerque, NM 87125

  

 

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Last modified:  January 08, 2004

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