Beaded Kiowa Objects, ca. 1870
Watch
GUEST:
My great-grandfather was managing and in charge of a trading post in the Fort Sills area, 1874 through 1877, about. And then they were given to him as gifts while he was there during that period. And then they've been passed down through the family.
APPRAISER:
And in the little letter you have there, it discusses two or three of the Indian tribes that might be there?
GUEST:
Well, in the Fort Sills area during that time, the Kiowa, the Comanche and the Apache were some of the tribes that were still around in that area, and they came in.
APPRAISER:
What you do indeed have here is a group of objects from the Kiowa people. Kiowa material is extremely rare, particularly from this period. They're known for their particular sense of color and their color palette. And if we look at the objects at the top here, the object in the middle is called a strike-a-light, and the use of the two different blues and particularly that purple signifies it's Kiowa. If this was a Sioux strike-a-light, it would have a nominal value. These particular objects are extremely desirable. On each side of these, we have awl cases that would have held a woman's awl and would have been held on a belt. The object closest to you is actually a whetstone case that carried a whetstone for sharpening a knife. The moccasins at the bottom are as fine as I've seen for Kiowa moccasins. They have this wonderful, long, trailing fringe with ochre rubbed into them. When these were all worn on a belt, these tin cones that dangle down from the bottom of these-- they're also known as dangles-- when the women moved, it made this fantastically beautiful sound like music. (jangling faintly) If this was a Sioux strike-a-light, it would have a value of about $1,500. The fact that it's Kiowa and it's in the condition it's in and it's from the right period, the 1870s, that strike-a-light is worth between $7,500 and $10,000. The whole belt outfit is worth between $14,000 and $16,000. The moccasins, if they were Sioux or another tribe from the same period, they might be $1,000, $2,000. Those moccasins are worth between $15,000 and $20,000.
GUEST:
(laughs) Hmm.
APPRAISER:
It is a remarkable group of Kiowa material.
GUEST:
Well, this is for my mom. She passed away recently and she would have been standing here.
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.
