Saturday, August 7, 2010

Navajo stamps


I saw a picture of this Navajo weaving in an antiques auction catalogue (it was called a "Navajo rug").






The Navajo of the Southwestern United States are the second largest Native American tribe of Northern America.

I thought "what a great stamp this rug picture would make". A normal association for a stampcentric mind...

Curiously I googled "navajo stamp" and guess what, there are at least 5 stamps of Navajo weavings!

Not being American and living in France I had no clue about the existence of these stamps.




See the middle stamp on the second row (click on the picture and you will see it bigger): A Navajo weaving by Daisy Taugelchee, from the Denver Art Museum, Denver, Colorado. An explanation says "Weaving is the art form for which the Navajo are best known, and the finely woven textiles from the Two Grey Hills region in New Mexico -- characterized by geometric designs executed in natural shades of hand-spun wool yarns with wide or multiple borders -- are highly esteemed. Daisy Taugelchee (1911-1990), who set unprecedented standards of fine spinning and weaving, made this stellar tapestry in the late 1940s."

Then there is this one, they are really 4. I do not have much of a story here, but is the most impressive representation I saw of Navajo weavings on stamps :





There is also a stamp that I had seen before a lot, featuring Navajo silver.



As I now read somewhere there is a story on this stamp.

In 2004 the USPS issued this 2 cent stamp as the fifth design in the American Design Series. The Navajo Indians began silversmithing in the mid-1800s. The silver and turquoise squash blossom necklace on this stamp is a traditional Navajo motif. This stamp (Scott #3749) is a postage stamp that under ordinary circumstances would have been largely ignored by the vast majority of United States Postal Service customers. However, something happened in early 2006 that raised awareness of the Navajo Jewelry stamp to nearly everyone in the United States who mailed first class letters. On January 8, 2006, the USPS raised the rate for mailing a 1-ounce, first class letter from 37 cents to 39 cents. People with a supply of unused 37-cent stamps immediately descended upon their local post office in search of 2-cent "make-up" stamps that would allow them to use their 37 cent stamps.



And I saw a stamp of a Navajo bear.....



Does anybody know more Navajo (related) stamps? Do post me when you have one as I am getting interested in this now.

1 comment:

  1. I happen to own the Navajo jewelry one. I got it last year. Thanks for the information I really appreciate it as I didn't really knew much about it.

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