Ok my forum friends, the rug is now ours! The owner of the rugs, there were several, used them in her log cabin. This is the only one she hung and it was never on the floor. She and her late husband bought them at a store called Bing Crosby in Park City UT in 1996, she says it is no longer open.
She is insistent that the red snake rug is Navajo. They also told her they were all vegetal dyed, another subject I know nothing about!
Here are a couple of pics of little things I noticed. I’ll get a better pic of the rug when I get home.
Congratulations on your stunningly beautiful Storm Pattern!!!
These are referred to as “lazy lines”. One can think of them as “hinge” points in the weaving. They’re created when the weaver doesn’t finish a rug line by line from one side to the other, but sequentially finishes one area after the other. In other words, the weaver wove small, vertical sections at a time, rather than full-width rows. They’re functional joints, and allow large looms to be managed efficiently.
From Nizhoni Ranch Gallery…
Lazy lines appear as a diagonal line in the weave of the fabric. During the weaving process, the rug maker would move to work on adjacent sections of the warp, resulting in the subtle diagonal lines referred to as lazy lines.
Note: not every Navajo weaving has visible lazy lines.
Should I have this rug professionally cleaned or just leave it as is? The rug owner said she had Stanley Steamer clean all her rugs but this one. I feel like this type of cleaning is most likely a no-no.
You are spot on, @here4turquoise. They should never be steam cleaned, dry cleaned, or machine washed.
Personally, I would call a professional who specializes in Southwestern textiles, someone like Enver from Denver. They are a top notch outfit who are absolute professionals. But I’m no weaving expert, and this is just my opinion.
Congrats! I’m happy for you. While I really like both rugs, this Navajo woven rug is gorgeous. From its sheer size, to the design and colors, it’s a real winner. I hope you’ll enjoy them both for many years to come.
Awesome!!! So glad it’s living with you now. It’s absolutely gorgeous. I love Storm Patterns!
Only one of my rugs has some lazy lines. Interesting thing, that term “lazy lines” has become a point of contention on the rug site. Apparently it’s been a term that’s been used in all kinds of rug making (did not originate with Navajo weavings), but some people are taking offense to it now. That is sometimes where people get nasty on there, and in my opinion they need to lighten up a bit.
I haven’t read through all the comments so somebody else probably said it, but do NOT take it to Stanley Steamer. Do NOT have anyone clean it that doesn’t specialize in cleaning Native American weavings. It needs to be cleaned by a professional Navajo rug cleaner. I see that @Ravenscry gave you a link to one place. I personally wouldn’t worry about that little stain. I have read that Navajo often take their rugs out in the winter, put them in the snow, and then beat them with a rug beater to get them clean and fresh. That wouldn’t take care of your stain, but it’s interesting.
We have never had any of our rugs cleaned, but then they are on the wall or on the back of the sofa of chair.
Here is our beautiful storm pattern rug! This one is softer and less course than the snake rug. It was taken in cloudy natural light. I didn’t want to step on it so it’s not perfectly straight.
It’s amazingly beautiful, and I’m so happy for you. Congrats! But be careful, they can become an addiction The main thing that has stopped me is I have no more space.
Do you know where you’re going to put it? I only mentioned the floor, because it looked so big. But you probably shouldn’t do that since you have a dog. My mom had a much smaller Yei rug that she had on the floor for 45+ years. It never looked dirty, but the dog chewed one of the corners You can definitely be proud of the great deal you got. My Mom’s rug still sold at auction for around $400, and yours is quite a bit larger with no dog tooth marks
I tried to figure out if I recognized the place, but so many of them have changed or closed. I’m wondering if those birds are painted on the wall. I’ll keep searching!
Now, I’m not saying your lovely Storm Pattern was in this post, but this is just fun. Check out these photos of Hogback Trading Co. in Waterflow, NM. These were taken in 2019.
Could be, but I’m thinking that ceiling might be too high? But maybe it’s just the picture. Here’s a link to it if you want to try checking with them, @here4turquoise.
It’s my understanding that the Storm Pattern rug first developed in the more western part of the reservation. So I’m wondering if a place like Garland’s Rugs or Cameron Trading Post might be able to give you some information. I also think Hubble Trading Post would be a really good place to start being that it’s also a National Historical Site.
And maybe try checking with the place that @Steve listed since that’s where they bought it. Maybe the store still has that info on file.
Holy moly what a find! Thank you so much. We were so close to Hogback Trading as we passed Shiprock on the way to Toadleana. I’m going to give them a call tomorrow.
You’re giving @Steve a run for his money on sleuthing skills.
I don’t believe anyone can come close to @Steve’s ability to uncover information! He’s our resident master sleuth!
Definitely let us know what you find out! I just thought there were too many similarities, in my opinion, between your photograph and the others to discount the possibility, as faint as it may be.
The main thing that has stopped me is I have no more space.
You can definitely be proud of the great deal you got. My Mom’s rug still sold at auction for around $400, and yours is quite a bit larger with no dog tooth marks 
Check out these photos of Hogback Trading Co. in Waterflow, NM. These were taken in 2019.
they will recognize the people in the photo.