Shoulder Blanket with Plain-Stripe Design 1860 - 1890

The Art Institute of Chicago holds this striking shoulder blanket, woven by a Navajo (Diné) artist. Its structure is dominated by vertical stripes, rhythmically alternating colours against a natural background. The overall effect is one of measured harmony. The composition draws from the Diné weaving tradition, which is not only an expression of artistry but also a deeply symbolic practice. The vertical orientation, in contrast to horizontal weaving traditions elsewhere, may suggest a connection to cosmological narratives, such as the verticality of the sacred mountains that define Diné territory. The repeated stripes can be read as a semiotic code, with colors such as red, yellow, and white, each carrying layered cultural meanings. The blanket's very form, designed to be worn, connects the individual to these wider symbolic systems, blurring boundaries between body, textile, and cosmos. In its quiet formalism, the blanket invites us to consider how textiles operate not just as utilitarian objects or artworks, but as complex sites of cultural production and meaning-making.