1890s Germantown Moki Serape

Antique Navajo Moki Serape Blanket (c. 1890s) A striking example of late 19th-century Navajo weaving, this Moki serape blanket dates to the 1890s and is woven entirely from Germantown wool. The deep purple and black striped field—a hallmark of classic Moki design—is accented by bold stepped red and white motifs arranged in a balanced horizontal layout. These vivid elements frame black crosses with white spirit dots. The term Moki refers to a traditional design characterized by horizontal bands, typically dark indigo or purple over black, often associated with early Pueblo influence. By the late 1800s, Moki blankets were woven primarily for Navajo use rather than trade, making them rarer than many other blanket types. This serape was woven using Germantown yarn, a commercially spun and dyed wool yarn sent by train from Germantown, Pennsylvania to the Southwest beginning in the 1860s. These yarns allowed weavers to experiment with a wider range of colors and achieve exceptionally fine de