We are a showroom dedicated to preserving the native weaving cultures of Tibet, Afghanistan, Morocco, the Navajo Indians of the American Southwest and the Zapotec Indians of Oaxaca, Mexico. We also carry African kuba cloths from the Congo.
Here at FINE TEXTILES we view rugs as art and constantly offer new designs and color-ways. Only the finest materials are used. Custom sizes and colors are available.
Designers Welcome
RUNNERS
runners
from around
the world
in various sizes
There is always
something new
in the
showroom
PILLOWS
Unique
pillows
made from
african
Kuba cloth
and
navajo textiles
UNIQUE TIBETAN CARPETS: Hand carded and hand spun wool from sheep grazing on the high plateau of Nagchuka, Tibet provides for a lanolin rich yarn. Hand knotted by adult Tibetans at 80 knots per square inch. Woven on a tough cotton warp, the fringes can be returned if desired. Hand trimmed and relief carved. Carpets are thoroughly cleaned with biodegradable soaps and stain resist treated at an industrial facility in Switzerland.
TIBETAN CARPETS FROM LHASA, TIBET are colored with natural dyes in the ancient Tibetan tradition. Designs range from traditional Tiger and Lotus patterns to more contemporary, asymmetrical designs. Available on carpets from Lhasa is a hand spun wool warp that results in a very organic looking piece, the fringe is quite woolly and beautiful. Prices for wool warp carpets are slightly higher.
Custom sizes and colorS are available from Tibet and Nepal. Production time is approx. five to six months, this lead time allows for your custom carpet to be shipped along with regularly scheduled shipments, therefore negating any extra shipping cost from abroad.
If your installation date requires a shorter lead time you will be responsible for costs to ship your carpet. A 50% deposit is required to begin your order with the balance due upon completion, before shipping FOB Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA. UPS shipping unless otherwise specified.
Tibet
Oaxaca
Seppanen & Daughters FINE TEXTILES offers hand-carded and hand-spun Churro wool from an elevation of approx. 10,000 ft. Many of the design elements of these sophisticated weavings have pre-Hispanic antecedents, while others take inspiration from other contemporary Native American Indian groups and modern art.
By the time Christopher Columbus reached the New World in 1492, the Zapotec Indians of Teotitlan Del Valle, a small village nestled among the foothills of the Sierra Madres in the Oaxaca Valley of Southern Mexico, had a centuries old tradition of weaving textiles from cotton and other plant fibers. In the mid-seventeenth century, Dominican friars introduced the European upright loom and sheep to the New World, Southern Mexico and Guatemala. In spite of more recent cultural changes among many of Mexico's native Indian groups, the high level of craftsmanship of the Colonial period serapes is still evident in the distinctive use of color and the hand spun yarns in the contemporary rugs and tapestries woven by the Zapotec Indians of Oaxaca.
ZAPOTEC MATERIALS AND DESIGNS
The use of chemical dyes has increased as U.S. and European collectors have expressed interest in the strong colors pleasing to their own tastes, which often cannot be achieved through the use of natural dyes. The Zapotec Indians' unique sense of color still gives these textiles their life and distinctive style. Natural vegetable dyes are still collected from the countryside surrounding the village and cochineal, one of the world's most colorfast natural red dyes, a product of the Oaxaca Valley since pre-Hispanic times, is still used by a number of the Zapotec dye-masters.
HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR WEAVING
Zapotec weavings are made of fine wool and meant to last many lifetimes. If you use the weaving as a rug, turn and vacuum it often. You can also shake the rug, holding it on the non-fringe side. Shaking a rug while holding it on the fringe side (warp) risks snapping the warp threads. Spills should be blotted immediately. If the spill cannot be removed by blotting, or if the rug is simply showing signs of soil, take it to a reputable Oriental rug cleaner for a cold water and mild soap cleaning.
If the weaving is to be a wall hanging, please remember that it is wool and therefore susceptible to moths. Remove the weaving from the wall every couple of months and put it in the freezer for several days. If you store your weaving for any length of time, remember that it should be stored just as any fine woolen garment,with complete moth protection.
Navajo
NAVAJO weavings from our showroom are contemporary pieces from various regions of the Navajo nation. These one of a kind textiles offer a direct connect between the Navajo culture and the collector. The designs, colors and yarns come from the weavers themselves with no interference from designers or production groups.
We choose the most complex examples of this rich art form. Collectors will usually display Navajo weavings on the wall and we are happy to assist in helping to choose the most effective installation technique to bring out the best in your particular weaving. Seppanen & Daughters is also happy to offer advice in cleaning and moth protection.
Navajo weavings are appropriate for the floor, in which case Seppanen & Daughters can provide the best quality rug pads to extend the life of these functional art pieces.
The creation of a Navajo textile is normally in the hands of one woman, working at home on her hand-constructed vertical loom. Certain pieces can take months of work and the sale of these weavings is still an important economic base for the families that live far from the conveniences of modern American life. Designs are no longer representative of the regions of the Navajo nation, a weaver from Ganado may choose to create a Two Grey Hills pattern, this freedom of choice was not as prevalent during the trader-era around the turn of the century.
Seppanen & Daughters appreciates this exchange of ideas and the assimilation of modern design influences in the powerful weavings from the Navajo. We are happy to email pictures of Navajo weavings currently in stock.
We are happy to work with you by email or phone.
Please contact us to discuss your needs or to inquire about current inventory.
Seppanen & Daughters Fine Textiles
2879 State Road 14 Madrid, New Mexico 87010
505.982.1662 • madridtext@aol.com