This blanket was purchased from a Navajo woman by Captain Harrison Samuel Weeks in 1876 while he was stationed at Fort Union, New Mexico. It was meant to be worn around the shoulders with the large central panel falling vertically down the back. During the nineteenth century, the introduction of new commercial dyes and yarns and the growth of a tourist market spurred by the opening of trading posts sparked creative experimentation with color and complex designs.
Details
| Artist | Navajo, Native American |
|---|---|
| Title |
|
| Date | ca. 1870 |
| Medium | wool, commercial and homespun yarns |
| Dimensions | Overall: 76 × 52 1/2 inches (193 × 133.4 cm) |
| Credit Line | Gift of the Descendents of Helen Weeks Winchester and Captain Harrison Samuel Weeks |
| Accession Number | 1987.93 |
| Department | Africa, Oceania & Indigenous Americas |
| On View | Native American S130, Level 1 (see map) |
Signed, Marks, Inscriptions
| Marks | Inscribed, dated in ink, upper corner: Cpt. HS Weeks | USA 1876 Body of the design, on white: WEEKS |
|---|
Provenance
1876, collected by Harrison Samuel Weeks, Captain, U.S. Army while stationed at (Fort Union, New Mexico, USA);
his widow, Julia Shoemaker Weeks;
inherited by their daughter, Helen Weeks Winchester [died 1943] (Allegan, Michigan, USA);
c. 1943, in the possession of her brother, Dr. Edward G. Weeks (Saginaw and Hubbard Lake, Michigan, USA);
inherited by his daughter, June Weeks Hughes (died 1987);
1987, inherited by the families of Helen Weeks Winchester and June Weeks Hughes, although in the possession of Henry T. Winchester, Jr. (Allegan, Michigan, USA, and Naples, Florida, USA);
1987-present, gift to the Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, Michigan, USA)
his widow, Julia Shoemaker Weeks;
inherited by their daughter, Helen Weeks Winchester [died 1943] (Allegan, Michigan, USA);
c. 1943, in the possession of her brother, Dr. Edward G. Weeks (Saginaw and Hubbard Lake, Michigan, USA);
inherited by his daughter, June Weeks Hughes (died 1987);
1987, inherited by the families of Helen Weeks Winchester and June Weeks Hughes, although in the possession of Henry T. Winchester, Jr. (Allegan, Michigan, USA, and Naples, Florida, USA);
1987-present, gift to the Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, Michigan, USA)
Published References
Miro, Marsha. "DIA blanket hailed as gem of Navajo art." Detroit Free Press, January 28, 1988, sec A, p. 3 (ill).
Parker, Rosemary. "Family's gift was more generous than they thought." Kalamazoo Gazette, February 14, 1988, (ill.).
Bulletin of the DIA 64, nos. 2/3 (1988): 8, fig. 5, (ill.).
Penney, David W. and George C. Longfish. Native American Art. Southport, CT, 1994, p. 159.
Penney, David W. Native American Art Masterpieces. Southport, CT, 1996, pp. 64-65.
Parker, Rosemary. "Family's gift was more generous than they thought." Kalamazoo Gazette, February 14, 1988, (ill.).
Bulletin of the DIA 64, nos. 2/3 (1988): 8, fig. 5, (ill.).
Penney, David W. and George C. Longfish. Native American Art. Southport, CT, 1994, p. 159.
Penney, David W. Native American Art Masterpieces. Southport, CT, 1996, pp. 64-65.
