Plains Indian Beadwork Group
Watch
GUEST:
I know absolutely nothing about any of them except for the ball. The ball was a gift from my grandmother. I was born on an Indian reservation in eastern Montana. My family received one when a child is born, and so I was given mine I think-- well, I'm 53, so probably at least 50 years ago.
APPRAISER:
And the other pieces, how did you get those?
GUEST:
I bought them at an auction and there was a large collection of them that I bought, and I just... I don't know anything about them. I liked them and at the time it was kind of a whim, and just decided to go for it.
APPRAISER:
And how much did you pay at that auction for these moccasins and the bonnet?
GUEST:
I'm not exactly sure how much, because it was a much larger collection. I think it was $5,000? I bought them in, I think, 1998.
APPRAISER:
Did you grow up around beadworking?
GUEST:
Well, we saw it a lot. You know, they have the different tribal ceremonies and whatnot, and I always thought that was beautiful, so.
APPRAISER:
So did you go to the grass dances in the summer and all that?
GUEST:
We did all of it, yes, I did spend my summers in Froid, Montana, where my grandmother lived.
APPRAISER:
So are you Oglala or...
GUEST:
(laughing) Well, I'd like to say I am, but the tribe when I was born had just stopped the roll books, so I have a brother and sister that are registered Native American, and my sister and I-- my younger sister-- are not. (laughs) So it's a very strange situation.
APPRAISER:
That's really interesting. The two pairs of moccasins and the little baby bonnet, they're Lakota.
GUEST:
Oh, okay.
APPRAISER:
So they're from east of the Oglala people.
GUEST:
So maybe more the Rosebud reservation.
APPRAISER:
Yeah.
GUEST:
My husband is actually from that.
APPRAISER:
Oh, really?
GUEST:
Yeah, that's where his mother was born.
APPRAISER:
So this is very connected.
GUEST:
Yeah.
APPRAISER:
This is all beadwork that was made between about 1890 and 1910.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
This is typical of that area. This is silk ribbon and it's starting to shatter.
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
There's not a lot you can do about it. These are a little unusual in that they're beaded on the bottom.
GUEST:
Yeah, I was wondering about that. I kind of figured they were ceremonial of some sort or...
APPRAISER:
Ceremonial's good. They call them burial moccasins.
GUEST:
Oh!
APPRAISER:
But they're not.
GUEST:
(laughing) Oh, okay.
APPRAISER:
From what I know of what really got it started was when a young man would get married, he was the show.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
And he would be carried in by all his buddies on a big buffalo robe or on a blanket. And they would make these moccasins that were beaded on the bottom.
GUEST:
Oh.
APPRAISER:
What really interested me about this is it's got a little animal fetish. It's probably a lizard or a turtle on the bottom of this.
GUEST:
I have no idea what it...
APPRAISER:
And while the Sioux were great about making little umbilical charms.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
That were usually in the form of a turtle or a lizard.
GUEST:
Oh.
APPRAISER:
And so it's neat that this ball made for your birth would have the same symbol on the bottom. In the old days, they were stuffed with buffalo hair. And I don't think this one is. I can't imagine it. I think it's something else. As far as value, the moccasins, these are worth $800 to $1,200.
GUEST:
Oh, okay.
APPRAISER:
These are worth $1,400 to $1,600.
GUEST:
Oh, very nice.
APPRAISER:
This is probably worth $800 to $1,200.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
So $2,400 for these pieces, $3,400, $4,000 and probably $400 to $600 for this.
GUEST:
(laughing) Oh, seriously.
APPRAISER:
Yeah.
GUEST:
Really?
APPRAISER:
Yeah.
GUEST:
(laughing) I would've thought it had no value.
APPRAISER:
Yeah, no, $400 to $600.
GUEST:
Oh, wow, oh, very exciting.
APPRAISER:
Especially it's so beautiful. That's in an auction, that's not in a shop.
GUEST:
I love it. Like I said, my... it's sitting out on a shelf.
APPRAISER:
Well, it's family stuff, and you can't put a value on that.
GUEST:
Right, no.
Appraisal Details
Executive producer Marsha Bemko shares her tips for getting the most out of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW.
Value can change: The value of an item is dependent upon many things, including the condition of the object itself, trends in the market for that kind of object, and the location where the item will be sold. These are just some of the reasons why the answer to the question "What's it worth?" is so often "It depends."
Note the date: Take note of the date the appraisal was recorded. This information appears in the upper left corner of the page, with the label "Appraised On." Values change over time according to market forces, so the current value of the item could be higher, lower, or the same as when our expert first appraised it.
Context is key: Listen carefully. Most of our experts will give appraisal values in context. For example, you'll often hear them say what an item is worth "at auction," or "retail," or "for insurance purposes" (replacement value). Retail prices are different from wholesale prices. Often an auctioneer will talk about what she knows best: the auction market. A shop owner will usually talk about what he knows best: the retail price he'd place on the object in his shop. And though there are no hard and fast rules, an object's auction price can often be half its retail value; yet for other objects, an auction price could be higher than retail. As a rule, however, retail and insurance/replacement values are about the same.
Verbal approximations: The values given by the experts on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW are considered "verbal approximations of value." Technically, an "appraisal" is a legal document, generally for insurance purposes, written by a qualified expert and paid for by the owner of the item. An appraisal usually involves an extensive amount of research to establish authenticity, provenance, composition, method of construction, and other important attributes of a particular object.
Opinion of value: As with all appraisals, the verbal approximations of value given at ROADSHOW events are our experts' opinions formed from their knowledge of antiques and collectibles, market trends, and other factors. Although our valuations are based on research and experience, opinions can, and sometimes do, vary among experts.
Appraiser affiliations: Finally, the affiliation of the appraiser may have changed since the appraisal was recorded. To see current contact information for an appraiser in the ROADSHOW Archive, click on the link below the appraiser's picture. Our Appraiser Index also contains a complete list of active ROADSHOW appraisers and their contact details and biographies.
