Teec Nos Pos—Looking to the East

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“Teec Nos Pos, a Navajo place-name meaning ‘Ring of Cottonwood Trees,’ is a northeastern Arizona community. Two distinctive styles emerged here—one with bold geometric motifs and the other with an allover pattern of finely outlined zigzags. Teec Nos Pos rugs tend to be large and bold. Oriental carpet influences—hooks, frets and other filler elements—are prominent. Working with local traders, weavers looked to the Middle East and Far East for designs and looked to the East Coast for buyers.” —Ann Hedlund

“These rugs really define the classic Teec Nos Pos style—double borders with elaborate geometrics inside. It’s like, ‘No stone left unturned’—just pattern everywhere.” —Barbara Ornelas

“There’s something warlike about some ‘Teec,’ they’re really not inviting but are intriguing—like a fortress. Others look like an aerial shot of a booming city, with subway systems and controlled chaos below. It’s a very dramatic style.” —Sierra Ornelas