Not to long ago you drove across the Navajo Reservation and could find a Trading Post in each community, or just out in the middle of nowhere. Today, you find lots of vacant buildings with only a handful of Posts left, and most of those are more of convenient stores than places you would find art.
Rugs used to be defined by the area they came from. Classics like Ganado Reds, Two Grey Hills, Wide Ruins, and Teec Nos Pos all had a defined style. You still have rugs that are made in the same style they were 80 years ago, but the weaver is most likely not from the area the rug was named for. Plus you have lots of rugs that combine styles, like a Ganado with a Teec Nos Pos border, or don’t follow any established style.
This is a collection of some rugs, to help you identify certain styles.
Burnt Water Rug - Vegetal Dyes with classic Diamond Pattern
Eye Dazzler - Really never comes into focus
Chief Blanket - Second Phase (First Phase would have less design)
Wide Ruins - vegetal dyed
Chief Blanket - Third Phase
Ganado Red - Classic Double Diamond pattern
Klagetoh - Similar to Ganado but with gray background
New German Town
Pictorial
Storm Pattern - defined by the four bolts coming from center
Teec Nos Pos - recognized by the thick border and oriental look
Tree of Life
Two Grey Hills - Single diamond pattern
Crystal - very similar to Wide Ruins but no small vertical lines
Yei bi chei