A Classic Child’s Blanket with a White Field, Navajo,
circa 1845, also known as the Randall Child’s Blanket.

A Classic Child’s Blanket with a White Field, Navajo, circa 1845, also known as the Randall Child’s Blanket.

The child’s blanket measures 48 inches long by 30 inches wide, as woven.

The Randall Child’s Blanket was collected in 1847 by Dr. Burton Randall. (1805-1886). Born in Maryland, Randall was appointed Assistant Surgeon in the US Army, in 1832. Randall’s military record included posts as an Army surgeon in the south, the southwest, and in Mexico.

The Randall Child’s Blanket is ex- Fred Boschan (1916-2015), of Philadelphia. The child’s blanket is in the collection of the University of Colorado Museum, Boulder, by donation from Fred Boschan. [UCM Catalog #39310.]

In 1986, the Randall Child’s Blanket was exhibited as part of Collecting The Navajo Child’s Blanket, an exhibition of Navajo child’s blankets at Morning Star Gallery, in Santa Fe. The child’s blanket was illustrated as Plate 1 in Baer, Collecting the Navajo Child’s Blanket, 1986, the exhibition catalog; and dated “circa 1845.”

The Randall Child’s Blanket is illustrated on Page 248 in Wheat and Hedlund, Blanket Weaving in the Southwest, 2003. Wheat and Hedlund refer to the child’s blanket as “Navajo Serape (ca. 1847*),” and state that it was “Collected by Burton Randall in 1847 while with the army of occupation in New Mexican territory; to Fred Boschan collection.” Under Notes, Wheat states: “This is the earliest known, documented, whole Navajo serape.”

On joebenwheat.org, the following notes appear under JBW Description:

“Small child’s blanket; white ground with center and end decorative panels; white broken by compound stripe cluster in red and brown; fine pencil-like stripes flank the center and end pencils…”

The red yarns are raveled bayeta piece-dyed with 20% cochineal and 80% lac.

The blue yarns are handspun Churro fleece dyed in the yarn with indigo.

The blue / green yarns are handspun Churro fleece dyed in the yarn with indigo.

The dark gold and medium gold yarns are handspun Churro fleece dyed with vegetal dyes.

The white yarns are un-dyed handspun Churro fleece.