Serape

Unidentified

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Serapes (the Spanish term for blanket) are a prominent form of Navajo weaving. In the early nineteenth century, they became seen as garments of prestige among a range of Southwest residents, as well as a high-value trade item. Vibrantly colored and vividly patterned, these so-called wearing blankets build on long-established design themes. The horizontal lines and diamond shapes of this classic example—referred to by some as a rare "radio-wave" pattern—are characteristic of Southwest Native American design, reflecting varied weaving traditions and artistic exchange among Native and Hispanic communities.

The American Wing

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The American Wing's ever-evolving collection comprises some 20,000 works of art by African American, Euro American, Latin American, and Native American men and women. Ranging from the colonial to early-modern periods, the holdings include painting, sculpture, works on paper, and decorative arts—including furniture, textiles, ceramics, glass, silver, metalwork, jewelry, basketry, quill and bead embroidery—as well as historical interiors and architectural fragments.

Metropolitan Museum of Art