Germantown Blankets and Navajo Eyedazzlers

The key to identifying a Germantown blanket is recognizing the yarn. Germantown yarn is plied, meaning there are multiple strands of yarn twisted together. Early Germantown yarn (circa 1868) was three-ply. By the early 1870s, four-ply yarn became the standard, producing a fine, even weave./

Bright colors are also characteristic of Germantown blankets - although as aniline dyes became more accessible, weavers would also dye their homespun yarn with these vivid hues, so color alone is not an indicator.

A Navajo Eye Dazzler (sometimes written as one word, “eyedazzler”) is a unique type of Navajo weaving made between 1880 and 1910. These weavings are characterized by vibrant, complex designs woven in many colors. These weavings are masterful examples of the weavers’ creativity, sparked by access to the Germantown yarns in an array of brilliant colors.

There are a couple of caveats if you are looking at a vibrant, Navajo weaving and wondering if it is an eye dazzler.

1. An eyedazzler does not have to be woven of Germantown yarn. A few weavers of the era dyed their homespun yarn with aniline dyes and recreated the look of Germantown eyedazzlers with their own handspun yarn. Here is an example:
   
2. Germantown blankets (and therefore Germantown eyedazzlers) were only woven during a brief period, largely ending at the turn of the last century. After this period, Navajo weavers wove rugs exclusively - even those that are “eye-dazzling” to look at, such as the Red Mesa rug below, are not considered to be true eye dazzlers.