 |
|
Long before there were white men in America, there were blankets. Some stitched together from fox or wolf pelts. Some woven or twisted from thin strips of cedar bark fiber, bird, beaver or rabbit skins. Some loomed from wild cotton colored with native dyes.
Then, from Europe, came wool and still more colors for the native artists' expressions. And, later, came men from Pendleton® Woolen Mills who studied the beliefs and legends behind the Indian designs, striving to capture their true spirit in blankets produced with modern machinery. The work of these men resulted in the first Indian-inspired Pendleton® Blankets and Shawls.
Today, that tradition of complimentary creation lives on in Pendleton® Indian Blankets and Shawls, still woven from the finest fleece wool to be used and cherished from generation to generation. |
|
THE LEGENDARY COLLECTION |
|
BOOKS |
|
The Pendleton® legend began at the turn of the century, when a woolen mill in Pendleton, Oregon began producing beautiful wool blankets in vivid colors and authentic designs for the neighboring Umatilla and Cayuse tribes. The popularity of these blankets quickly spread to other tribes, as well as the settlers in the region. Tourists from the East were also enamored with the striking designs and bought them as souvenirs to take back home. The superb quality and wool's exceptional warmth soon made these blankets especially popular for a wide range of outdoor activities, and earned Pendleton® a reputation for the finest craftsmanship, which continues to be a hallmark of Pendleton® products.
|
|
|
 |
Language of the Robe
An authentic history of Native American blankets, with beautiful photographic reproductions. 9" x 11", full color. 178 pages.
$38.00
|
|
 |
Chasing Rainbows
This valuable resource by Barry Friedman is a must for any serious collector or admirer of wool trade blankets. History of the blankets with hundreds of illustrations of rare blankets, historic photographs of Native Americans and original blanket manufacturers' catalog pages. Hardback. 304 pages.
$50.00
|
|
 |
PWM 1915 Vintage Catalog
Around 1915, Pendleton® printed its first full blanket catalog. In this exclusive reproduction of that first edition, you can identify the inspiration for many of the blankets and bedding we offer today.
$12.00
|
|
BLANKETS |
|
The history of the true Native American blanket dates back to the earliest days. In each chapter of western history, blankets have played an important role - in councils of war, and peace, in ceremonies and pow wows, and as a medium of exchange and barter. For over a century, Pendleton® blankets and shawls have been woven into the history and traditions of Native Americans. A prized possession and standard of value since the frontier days, these blankets continue to play a time-honored role in ceremonies and are cherished from generation to generation. |
|
NEW! The Record Keeper |
|
Pendleton® The Record Keeper · 2008
The Record Keeper design honors all those whose visions and dreams have led them to create a permanent record for all to share. Today it is Elders, teachers, librarians, storytellers, parents, writers and artists who are among those to hold this important responsibility. The central figure in the design is an Ancient Spirit. There are many forms of Spirit People. Some refer to them as Angels, to others they are Spirits. Many are found in forms of pictographs etched into the faces of rocks. The inspiration for the pictograph designs came from the dreams of a Record Keeper. History is kept and stories are told through the pictographs. The bear paw references a traditional Cherokee legend. A spiral tells others that a settlement was abandoned and the inhabitants have continued their migration. The butterfly symbol placed at the site of an old village signifies that a new village has been founded. The dragonfly, a sign of water and renewal, also is considered a messenger. The Record Keeper pays tribute to those who safeguard the stories, history and tradition of their people, insuring thier passage to the next generation. 82% pure virgin wool / 18% cotton. Made in the USA. 64" x 80".
|
|
 |
|
Pendleton®
The Record Keeper
$194.00
|
|
|
Sacred Dance |
|
Pendleton® Sacred Dance · 2007
The Sacred Dance design includes powerful and precious symbols of Native American culture and history - symbols that depict how the Cree people relate to the world and communicate with the Creator. Horses hold a special place in the hearts and history of all the people of the American West. In this design, the painted horse stands proudly in a depiction of the Horse Dance, a sacred ceremony performed before the Sun Dance. Thunderbirds, shown in the circular sacred Drum (an instrument of prayer), served two purposes: they brought the life-nourishing rain and they carried the people's prayers to the Creator. The lightning bolts found in this design represent the Thunderbird's voices. The colors in the drum are equally important: Yellow represents the sun, Red is the night, and Blue is the day. 82% pure virgin wool / 18% cotton. Made in the USA. 64" x 80".
|
|
 |
|
Pendleton®
Sacred Dance
$194.00
|
|
|
Celebrate the Horse |
|
Pendleton® Celebrate the Horse · 2005
A brave warrior astride a swift steed thunders across the plain, accompanied by wild mustangs perhaps yet to be tamed. Similar vivid images were painted on buffalo hides by Plains Indians in the 1800s. Pendleton®'s Celebrate the Horse blanket is based on a design from the Blackfoot tribe, expert horsemen who called the animal "elk-horse" for it's great size. The arrival of the horse, brought to the Americas by sixteenth-century Spanish Conquistadors, changed forever the culture of Native Americans. Trading among tribes, herding sheep and hunting buffalo, following migrating game, even protecting territories became dependent on the horse for many Native Americans. Eventually Sioux, Cayuse, Nez Perce, Crow, Comanche, Cheyenne, Kiowa and other tribes were horse-based societies and cultures. Pendleton®'s Celebrate the Horse blanket has an ultra suede patch with the story behind this design. 82% pure virgin wool / 18% cotton. Made in the USA. 64" x 80".
|
|
 |
Pendleton® Celebrate the Horse
$194.00
|
|
The Storyteller - Keep My Fires Burning |
|
Pendleton® Keep My Fires Burning · 2002
Native American culture honors Storytellers as holy people, historians and Keepers of Mother Earth and her People. Using language as their tool, these important tribe members (usually an Elder, Shaman or Artist), perpetuate Native American traditions of healing, song and dance, ceremony, religion and, most importantly, the story of creation. 82% pure wool / 18% spun cotton warp. 64" x 80".
|
|
 |
Pendleton® Keep My Fires Burning
$194.00
|
|
Sioux Star |
|
Pendleton® Sioux Star · 1990
In 1990, the Sioux Star design was inspired by quilt patterns that have been handmade for generations. Sioux quilts may take years to finish. Each one, with its own unique design, represents a memorial, an event, a person, or honors a special occasion. To commemorate this tradition, the Sioux Star blanket is truly a striking representation of the Sioux nation. 82% pure wool and 18% spool spun cotton warp. 64" x 80".
|
|
 |
Pendleton® Sioux Star
$194.00
|
|
Spirit Quest |
|
Pendleton® Spirit Quest · 1993
In 1993, the Spirit Quest was designed to continue the Native American tradition. It symbolized the ritual of a young brave's quest in seeking his destiny through a vision into the Spirit World of their Creator. The unique design portrays petroglyphs found along the mighty Columbia River dating back over 10,000 years. Spirit Quest commemorates a belief system that is synonymous with the heritage still found today. 82% pure wool and 18% spool spun cotton warp. 64" x 80".
|
|
 |
Pendleton® Spirit Quest
$194.00
|
|
Circle of Life |
|
Pendleton® Circle of Life · 1992
Designed in 1992, the Circle Of Life or Elders blanket is in honor of all tribal Elders, the Wisdomkeepers who hand down the teachings and spiritual direction to the children. This guidance gives the children a better understanding of their responsibility to the universe and The Creator, that all things are interrelated and an equal part of the whole. The design represents all colors of humankind, the color of Mother Earth, the sun and other circular celestial bodies and the four directions of life. 82% pure wool and 18% spool spun cotton warp. 64" x 80".
|
|
 |
Pendleton® Circle of Life
$194.00
|
|
Turtle Blanket |
|
Pendleton® Turtle · 1991
The Turtle blanket is in recognition of the Iroquois Confederacy. Inspired by the Oneida, Seneca, Mohawk, Cayuga, Onondaga and Tuscoarora Nations, the Turtle design represents the Iroquois legend that the world was created on the shell of the Great Turtle. The Turtle was the only one with enough strength who could support the earth on its back, says the legend. And the earth grew larger until it became the whole world. 82% pure wool and 18% spool spun cotton warp. 64" x 80".
|
|
 |
Pendleton® Turtle
$194.00
|
|
