In 1878 Juan Lorenzo Hubbell began his legendary career as a trader in Ganado, AZ. With an abiding appreciation for Navajo art and culture, Hubbell set out to restore Navajo weaving to its Classic Period of excellence, a time when Navajo textiles were the best, finest, tightest and most valuable in the land.

Hubbell admired the crimson red of old bayeta cloth and encouraged Ganado weavers to use a similar rich color – hence the origin of the name – Ganado Red. He also favored grey, brown, black, white and indigo. Early Ganado patterns were often Classic Revivals with Moki stripes and floating crosses. However, after 1910, the more popular Ganado rugs were large, black bordered textiles with red or grey backgrounds, and central design elements of terraced diamonds or crosses. These rugs included motifs such as latch hooks, terraced zigzags, swastikas and stepped triangles.

Contemporary Ganado Rugs retain Hubbell’s traditional color scheme, but may exhibit more elaborate patterns, double borders and terraced elements in the four corners.

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