This is a fabulous early 1900’s J.B. Moore Navajo Old Crystal wool rug from a private-Montana collection. The rug exhibits some natural hand-spun wool with natural and aniline dyes with colors of red, browns, white / creams, tans, grey. J.B. Moore was a native of Sheridan, Wyoming and bought an interest in the trading post at Washington Pass, N.M., also known as Cottonwood Pass, in 1896. The Crystal Trading Post was established in 1896 by Moore on the Navajo Reservation in far western New Mexico, high up in the Chuska Mountains. In 1897, JB Moore purchased the entire interest in the trading post and renamed it “Crystal” after a “pure and sparkling mountain spring that ran by the post.” The remoteness and limited winter business led Moore to issue mail order catalogs in 1903 and 1911, selling Navajo rugs to people in the eastern U.S. Moore had a strong interest in Navajo weaving and was "instrumental in promoting a bordered rug style, more suited to the tastes of Anglo buyers." Early Navajo Crystal rugs from the 1903 catalog were often made from natural hand-spun wool yarn and featured traditional Navajo weaving patterns common in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. He abruptly left the Navajo Reservation in the autumn of 1911. This rug shows a nice weave with lazy lines throughout and nice variation of color and fine early Crystal detailing. The rug shows some loss to the weave, a few small worn spots, and edge damage, but overall still a stunning rug with impressive colors and well matched on both sides. Measures 71-inches long by 34-inches wide.