This handwoven Chief Blanket by Annie Jean of Tsaile, Arizona is woven of natural wool dyed with indigo blue. Known as a First Phase design, it represents the earliest style of Navajo Chief Blankets, made from the 17th through early 19th centuries.
These blankets were prized possessions, worn as status symbols and traded widely among tribes and settlers. Their high cost meant they were often owned by chiefs, wealthy traders, or military leaders, giving them their name. The First Phase style is characterized by broad horizontal bands of natural and indigo-dyed wool, simple yet striking.
Few original Chief Blankets survive today, making new weavings like Annie’s both homage and continuation. Her work reflects not only technical mastery but also the endurance of a tradition nearly lost when machine-made blankets entered the market in the late 1800s.
This blanket is more than a textile—it is a living link to history, carrying the beauty, resilience, and artistry of the Navajo people.
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