An Authentic Collection of
Native American Art Work

Have you ever wanted to collect Native American art work, but were unsure if what you were seeing was authentic? At A Shared Blanket, every piece they sell comes directly from the Native American artist who made it.

From South America, all the way to Alaska, A Shared Blanket collects and sells unique pieces of Native American art work. And they know the stories behind the pieces, as well.

I especially enjoyed the tales they told about the dolls I was considering. One of my favorites was the storyteller dolls – Jemez Pueblo dolls made of colorful clay which feature an adult storyteller with three or more children perched on or near her.

They artist crawls into the caves that hold the clays, collects them and processes them by hand, until they are workable into each piece made.

Another style I liked were the woven Inca dolls. For these, the dress fabrics were actual pieces of ancient fabric remade into the dolls. Imagine owning such a piece of history!

A Shared Blanket carries a much larger variety of Native American art work than just dolls. Zuni fetishes, for instance – and the story behind what each animal teaches us.

Alaskan sculptures are another unique item they have. Made from “found” walrus ivory and whale bones (no animals are killed to make this art), each piece is a depiction of life and art in the arctic region.

Of course they offer paintings and jewelry, like most of the shops in Durango, but they also carry handspun, natural wool Navajo weavings. And they can tell you the stories each weaving portrays, too.

Then there are the typical Native American art work pieces like bows and arrows, pipes, drums, buckskin clothing, dance rattles, tomahawks and flutes. Each is an artifact in itself, because the people who make them are using traditions handed down for generations.

From the endangered Darien Rainforest in Panama come Wounaan baskets, woven in bright colors. Each depicts beautiful scenes form nature or geometric patterns. I’ve never seen baskets as intricate as these, with butterflies, tropical birds and wildlife woven right into the surface of each.

A Shared Blanket is a shop that’s stood the test of Durango time: It’s been around for at least 20 years! That, in itself is why it’s one of our favorites.

So, next time you want a unique gift for you or someone you know, stop in and see them. They’ll help you find the perfect piece of Native American art work to take home.

Can’t get to Durango, but still want to shop there? They’ll ship items to you, as well. And, many of the artists will custom make the item you want! So check them out today!

For more Native American Art, see our page on the Toh-Atin Gallery . For prints from the area, see our Durango Colorado Art Prints page.

Enjoy!



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