Navajo Pictorial Rug, ca. 1940
Watch
GUEST:
My grandfather used to travel the Southwest, and from what I understand, he picked it up somewhere in Arizona, or New Mexico, or somewhere on the Navajo reservation. He used to travel all over the Southwest in all of his old cars. He would make these old camp cars, if you will, and he would travel all over and just camp out in the Southwest, and he went all over the Navajo reservation meeting all of the locals there, and he loved being into that area.
APPRAISER:
I can definitely confirm that this is a Navajo weaving. And we have to understand that a Navajo loom is upright. The weaver sits at the bottom and she works from the bottom up, which really makes this very special because she has no template, she's just weaving. And to have the balance that we have on this is really, really lovely and special. One of the things that we're always concerned about a Navajo's condition. Navajo rugs really don't like the sun, they don't like pets for reasons, they don't like high heels, that sort of thing. Now we notice that we do have some holes and some problems on the edge and the bottom down there. These are concerns for two reasons. Number one: for value. Number two: for stabilizing the piece. So, quite often, you'd want to fix this because you'd stabilize it, keep the damage from getting worse. You don't ever want to fold these, you want to roll them, and roll them in acid-free cotton.
GUEST:
Right, right.
APPRAISER:
After 1890 they started doing pictorials, and that is various images on
Navajo rugs. This one I believe dates to the 1930s, the 1940s. And it is unique in that it really sort of transcends Navajo weaving.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
It not only is a Navajo that we can appreciate for being a Navajo, but it's also folk art.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
It's really a special piece. Whenever you see something that is as idiosyncratic as this,
GUEST:
Uh-huh.
APPRAISER:
that is so specific, immediately what comes to mind is you say, "Is this a commission piece?" In other words, did your grandfather go to a Navajo weaver and say, "Hey, I love cars, can you do a great rug with cars on it?" It's speculation, but it's almost more logical that that could happen. Because for a Navajo to come up with all of this imagery without somebody saying, "Hey, I want this kind of car, this kind of house, I want a coffee grinder."
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
So I think that makes the story even cooler.
GUEST:
It's a wonderful piece, and, unfortunately, it's the only one left in his collection because the house caught fire and all of the rest of the rugs....
APPRAISER:
And you lost 20, didn't you?
GUEST:
We lost at least 20 rugs.
APPRAISER:
Well, I'm glad this one made it.
GUEST:
This is the only one that made it.
APPRAISER:
Obviously, when we're doing value we've got to consider condition. What do you think the value would be on this?
GUEST:
I haven't a clue. Probably because of its condition probably... no more than $700, $1,000, something like that maybe.
APPRAISER:
Okay. In the condition that it's in right now, I would say absolutely with no problem it's $2,500 to $3,500 at an auction. Okay?
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
Now, if you were to spend the money on getting this thing repaired to keep the damage from getting worse, it would enhance the value. I think easily you could be looking at $5,000 to $7,000, or maybe even more
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
at a very competitive auction.
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.
