Featured Two Native American Blankets Stitched Together?

Hello all,
So I found this blanket in a plastic bag from a bunch of boxes I had bought from an estate sale. I know absolutely nothing about blankets like this. It's pretty heavy and feels a little rough. Is it really Native American, a reproduction, or other? It looks like two smaller blankets were patched together to make a bigger one. Any help anyone can be, would be awesome.

 

not NA...

 

Looks like a nice Andean poncho, probably from Peru. Modern, non-traditional colours, so not too old.
They are made in two halves, the width of back strap or hip looms. There was originally a slit in the centre, so it could pass over your head.

Back strap or hip loom:

 

Can you tell us the actual dimensions? That may help determine if it was meant to be a poncho/serape. Usually for a poncho the stripes run parallel to the center seam. Does the center stitching appear continuous, or is there evidence of a center opening having been stitched closed at a later time? I think it is more likely to be a Mexican blanket. It is typical for there to be a center seam, with the two halves woven on a narrow loom as Any Jewelry has said. Although in Mexico it is more likely they used a narrow floor loom. Again, size will help determine.

 

The size is 74 inches long by 60 inches wide. Each half is 30 inches wide. It looks like it would have been a continuous stitch together. So no place for a hole for a head.

 

Most likely a blanket, then. I am still thinking Mexican, although the colors are a little unusual. Definitely not Navajo - the two part construction, and the knotted warps at the ends are not Navajo technique.

 

Do you really think Mexican? I’ve never seen a Mexican textile pattern like this. No expert here but also guessed it to be South American.

 

Split the diff? Central American?!!! just kidding.

I tend to agree it appears northern South America based on colors and pattern and 'generalist' knowledge. No expert.

 

It is a bit of a puzzler. I am going largely by construction. I have also considered North African.

 

This is basically my reasoning:



modern blankets at market. The peruvian ones have a very similar X pattern in them too.

 

it's puzzlers like these that lead to fascinating discoveries and comparative cultural analysis...
https://threadsofperu.com/blogs/blog/88849670-andean-textiles-tell-stories-literally

And, I'm doubting if its andean, now. Thanks to @2manybooks.

Apparently, IF it is andean, the "pallay" will tell you more of where it might be from regionally. It has lots of story to tell with all the various designs.

But FIRST, as per 2manybooks approach, the construction has to be 'warp faced' to be traditionally andean. https://thekindcraft.com/bolivian-textiles-andiart/ in simple terms 'warp faced' means that you are using the warps (vertical tensioned threads) as a pattern, e.g. a series of stripes in different colors. @Any Jewelry posted a pic of that warp face weaving.

That then creates the banded appearance. "Like most Andean textiles, Andi’Art textiles are warp-faced weaves: The warp is made of soft alpaca yarn and the weft is made with a more resistant merino yarn, or with a blend of alpaca and merino yarn." I doubt the 'commercial' market uses alpaca and probably just commercial spun wools, since the two pictured above are virtually identical, sewn together, and meant for the tourist market.

The link above actually shows a picture of two finished pieces being shown sewn together, so that's a clue too.

Except, the construction is not warp faced. The wefts clearly cover a fiber warp that is uniform across the weaving, never intended to to be used as a pattern.

So, Besides A, B, and C in the pics, add D, None of the Above.

I'm thinking its a factory made 'version' of peruvian textiles, possibly imported for sale in La Paz. I mean, tourists are stupid right? Maybe even 'assembled' in Peru by the merchant, so it has an air of authenticity.

When I was young, I visited the Grand Canyon, stopped at a wayside Navajo stand, and asked about an Ironwood Carving (they are a dime a dozen) "where was this made?" the answer: "By a guy down the road." Little did I know that road was to Tijuana, and further.

So thanks, 2manybooks.

Put a $7000 price on it, call it "rare" and put it on Etsy. I'm stumped.

 

While I don't deal a lot with non-Native American weaving, I have encountered a lot of it over the years (usually misidentified as Navajo...which required some research to be able to explain why that wasn't true.)

My first impression of this was that it is from Guatemala, based on the construction (definitely not Native American Navajo), the colors (that shade of bright orange/yellow combined with pinks and reds seems especially associated with Guatemala), and the design patterns (usually referred to as "Mayan" style).

So that would agree with narrowing it down to the southern Mexico/Central America/former Mayan Empire region, as opposed to the Andes or Africa.

 

@Taupou, have you seen a textile with these colors and this technique?
Sorry - teach me to read before I post. You weren't there the last time I looked.

 

I agree the colors look Guatemalan. But it looks like wool - I was thinking most Guatemalan textiles are cotton.

 

While traditional Guatemalan weaving was primarily done with cotton, today, with the modern tourist trade and export markets, most yarn is purchased rather than handspun, and can include wool and acrylics.

It looks like the warp is cotton, and possibly even the weft, but it is difficult to tell from the photos. But yes, Guatemalan weavers do use wool, if that's what sells. It tends to be a little more expensive, however, which explains why even acrylics are used today.