The Value of Fine Woolen Navajo Rugs
Navajo Rugs are commonly displayed on walls,much like fine tapestries and oil paintings.
The Navajo culture is the most artistically gifted of all the Native American tribes. But, without a doubt, the talent for which they are most renown is their finely woven Navajo rugs. Many people feel that top quality Navajo rugs have no rival in either beauty or craftsmanship. Maybe that accounts for their popularity with both professional designers as well as dedicated collectors of Native American art.
Today fewer young Navajo women are inclined to take up the looming arts of their mothers and grandmothers; opting instead to seek higher education and mainstream employment. This in turn is driving up the demand for the dwindling supply of available Navajo rugs and stabilizing their value in these tough economic times.
Today fewer young Navajo women are inclined to take up the looming arts of their mothers and grandmothers; opting instead to seek higher education and mainstream employment. This in turn is driving up the demand for the dwindling supply of available Navajo rugs and stabilizing their value in these tough economic times. Are you aware that the values of fine quality Navajo rugs have risen close to 800% since the early 1960s. With such a potential for appreciation, no wonder many owners view Navajo rugs as long term investments. In fact, most are insured just like any other asset, or work of art. Maybe that's why so many Navajo rugs are displayed as wall decorations, rather than floor coverings. So, just what is it about authentic Navajo rugs by well known weavers that makes them sell in the $5000 to $10,000 price range? Well, when you know a little about the time and effort that goes into creating Navajo rugs, you will quickly agree that they are real bargains - at any price.
Did you know that the Navajo raise their own sheep and make their own dyes? Not only do the Navajo women that adhere to the "old ways" have to herd and shear their sheep, they also have to spend many hours gathering plants to make dyes. After the wool is sheared it must be cleaned, carded, dyed and spun. Hand spinning wool is an art within itself. Even though true master Navajo weavers make it look easy; it is in fact quite difficult. That is why genuine hand-spun wool Navajo rugs are so much more valuable than imitations made with commercial wool. 
Only after the wool is spun and dyed can Navajo artisans begin the task of weaving a rug. One curiosity about Navajo rugs, is that their weavers use no pattern or drawing to create them. The 'image' of what the finished rug will look like is in their mind's eye. They believe that through their fingers a part of their 'spirit' is imparted into the rug and it's design. Now comes the daily time-intensive task of sitting for hours in front of their handmade looms, laboriously weaving row after row of their rug. Just exactly how long this repetitive grind will take depends on the skill of the weaver, the intricacy of the pattern and the size of the rug. Three to six months is common to weave just ONE Navajo rug.
With the time and effort needed to produce authentic hand-spun Navajo rugs, is it any wonder that fewer and fewer are available for sale each year. Very lucky indeed, are those that are able to purchase them.
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