The Navajo (Dine’) are renowned for their weaving skills. When possible, in pre-Reservation days, they acquired wool in trade as well as being masters of recycling, taking older textiles, unraveling them, spinning the wool to their preferred twist, and then weaving blankets. These blankets were for their own use and also were traded to others. When the railroads reached the Southwest, commercial wool produced in textile mills in the East, particularly in Pennsylvania, became available. These wools were very fine and often had very vivid colors, which appealed to the Navajo. The Sunday saddle blanket was marketed as a fancy blanket, being very fine. This particular Sunday saddle blanket was clearly acquired and kept in fine condition over the years. It is coming out of a private collection and is fresh to the market.