Man Learns His Old Throw Blanket Is Actually A Valuable Native American Artifact
Antiques don’t just provide a décor aesthetic; they remind us that everything has a history—and a price. It can be surprising to learn the value of seemingly ordinary items that we often overlook.
So it’s no wonder why so many people enjoy watching PBS’s Antiques Roadshow , whose appraisers help the owners of rare and precious items to identify the history and value behind some of their belongings. Most of the time, it’s the owner who’s delighted to learn the backstory behind their items.
But for one particular antique—an old blanket with a storied past—it wasn’t just the owner who was blown away. The appraiser could immediately tell when the man walked in that it was going to be an exciting conversation.
When a man brought in this blanket to be appraised on PBS’s Antiques Roadshow , he didn’t know much about it, except that 19th-century Wild West legend Kit Carson had gifted it to his mother’s foster father.
As it turned out, it was a Navajo First Phase Chief’s blanket made between 1840 and 1860. Appraiser Donald Ellis, who owns a gallery of North American Indian Art in Ontario, called it “Navajo weaving in its purest form” that was in “unbelievable” condition.
http://boredomtherapy.com/old-blanket-antique/
Video in article.
(This is my first NT seed. If I did something incorrectly, please let me know.)
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Excellent story! Amazing what turns up in the most unlikely places.
Very true. Another interesting TV program that highlights the same topic is "Strange Inheritance".
Well done Jasper, you did everything right when you posted this article.
The blanket for obvious reasons has a special interest for me. I believe that they may have under estimated the value of the blanket. A few years ago one in the same condition sold for 1.8 million at auction.
The back story would be interesting to know, since Kit Carson was, to put it mildly, hated by the Navajo.
Reference the ''Long March'' for more information on this.
Thanks for the article Jasper.
Thank you for stopping by to comment, Kavika. My reading "bucket list" just grew longer, because I need to learn more about the "Long March" and Kit Carson.
Thank you for arousing my curiosity. I learned more about this blanket:
I'm happy that it went to a museum and not stuck in someone's private collection.