Acoma artist, Emroidered shawl, about 1850. Cotton and wool; 60 x 46½ in. Denver Art Museum: Native Arts acquisition fund, 1942.325

height: 46 in, 116.84 cm; width: 59 1/4 in, 150.495 cm

Native Arts

Indigenous Arts of North America

In the 1800s, artists at Acoma Pueblo wove a variety of white and black shawls and then embroidered the top and bottom borders with sophisticated designs like those seen here. This shawl bears designs of two abstract birds facing each other and is one of the very few examples of this rare pattern still in existence.

Jemez Pueblo, before 1907; Collected for Herman Schweizer (Fred Harvey Co.: Indian Department, Indian Building, Albuquerque, NM), from Jemez Pueblo, retained from 1907 until 1942; Denver Art Museum purchased from Fred Harvey in 1942.