Native American Textile Mystery, Input Needed

[bigcaddy64]

Earlier I started a thread about acquiring a large haul of turquoise jewelry from a deceased woman as part of her estate I'm cleaning out.

As I was sorting clothing last night, this popped out of one of the bags. It feels like it's old and it looks old but I have no idea what it depicts or what tribe actually made it. There is no signature of any sort and it measures about 14" x 14"

Does anybody know what exactly this little guy is? I would say a bird but anybody could guess that.

 

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[jamey]

maybe Aleut,ill look I THINK I HAVE SEEN THAT BIRD BEFORE

 

[GibH]

It looks like a roadrunner to me. Probably a Navajo tourist piece.

Edit to add: I also found quite a few similar Mexican pillows like this.
https://www.google.com/search?q=nat...HNuK_AAw#tbm=isch&q=+road+runner+indian+weave

 

[jamey]

ok the first one is aleut work the second is Kwakiutl work

 

[jamey]

i like GibH.s answer more than mine

 

[bigcaddy64]

It looks like a roadrunner to me. Probably a Navajo tourist piece.

Edit to add: I also found quite a few similar Mexican pillows like this.
https://www.google.com/search?q=nat...HNuK_AAw#tbm=isch&q=+road+runner+indian+weave

That appears to be the one which would fit in with her travel and style. Thanks Gib!

I'm glad this little bugger is a pillow and not a set of bed sheets. It makes me itch just looking at it.

 

[bigcaddy64]

Do you think there is any value with it or no? It was in a bag with a note to have it mounted in a frame

 

[jamey]

if she loved it,then yes

 

[GibH]

Do you think there is any value with it or no? It was in a bag with a note to have it mounted in a frame

Well, looking at the available pics, it looks like it could be quite valuable. I don't think your's was meant to be a pillow (although I guess it could be). I think it was meant to be displayed in a frame, like the note said.

I'm sure somebody knows a lot more about these things than I do, but my guess is like I said in the first post. It looks to me like it was originally a tourist piece, probably from the 60's or early 70's. The style looks Navajo, but a modern interpretation.