Navajo Pound Period Transitional Blanket

This is a good looking banded transitional blanket with the fairly thick handspun warp and weft yarns typical of the rugs identified as pound rugs. The red, orange and black dyes are aniline.  It has two small areas where the warps are broken, one of which is shown in the photographs.  The rug was collected by then Captain Horatio Gates Sickel between 1895 and 1898 while he was stationed in Arizona with the 7th Cavalry.  He had graduated from West Point in June of 1876 and shortly after graduation was transferred to the 7th Cavalry following the loss of so many officers at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, and remained with the 7th Cavalry until 1903 when he was transferred as Major to the 12th Cavalry with which he remained for the last 15 years of his service. The rug has passed down in his family.

L. 64 1/2": W. 49"