Hastiin Klah (Navajo)
Night Sky from the Shooting Way
1937
110 x 123 in.
natural (undyed) and aniline-dyed wool
KMA 91.023.172
Weavings
Edwin Kennedy first visited the Navajo Reservation in 1954 in the course of business travel. His trip formed the basis for what was to become a long and highly productive association spanning nearly forty years. On that visit, Ed Kennedy purchased his first Navajo textile, a yé'ii rug by Vera Begay (see picture inset below left ).
White Ye’ii
1953
natural (undyed) handspun
and aniline-dyed commercial wool
37.5 x 52,75 in.
wall-hanging
KMA 91.023.39
As Edwin Kennedy's collecting passion grew, he came to amass a comprehensive and unique collection of Navajo textiles and jewelry. Consulting with scholars and textile experts, he gathered together a collection of textiles encompassing all major phases and regional styles of Navajo weaving. The weavings in Ed Kennedy's collection include examples from Classic, Late Classic, Transitional, and Regional Periods, as well as examples of rare early weavings, such as an early Classic First Phase Chief Blanket, Ute Style, and several highly valuable Classic serapes (KMA 91.023.254, KMA 91.023.255, KMA 91.023.572, KMA 91.023.586, and KMA91.023.594). Twentieth-century works comprise the majority of Kennedy's weavings. Weavers of note from that period who are represented in the collection include:
Two Grey Hills Weavers (click on the the thumbnails for larger view):
Burntwater Weavers:
Pictorial Style Weavers:
Ganado Weavers :
Crystal Weavers:
Sandpainting Textile Weavers:
Twenty-first century works in the collection, which reflect important contemporary innovations, include pieces by both Navajo and Hopi weavers
