Chief's blankets were originally
intended as wearing blankets in historic times. This type of
weaving has become popular among the Ganado area weavers as it
was originally revived there by Lorenzo Hubbell around the turn
of the century.
The Chief style of rug was
traded to the high status members of the Pueblo and Plains peoples;
giving the blanket its name: "Chief." The earliest
established weaving style, the Chief is distinguished by its
generally square blanket shape and simple design in blue, red,
black, and white.
The first phase Chiefs were
woven in plain stripes of blue, white, black, and brown. During
a second phase, weavers added short red bars to the design. Third
phase Chiefs, with stepped triangle motifs and rose-colored wool
sometimes replacing the red, are the most popular today. In the
fourth phase, the stripes were subsumed into squares against
a solid background. Fourth phase Chiefs are rarely woven today.
