GUEST: A friend who knows a lot about weaving and Native American art told me that this is probably a Hopi man's ceremonial kilt, and perhaps late 1800s.

My father-in-law bequeathed these to me in 1998.

There is a, a manuscript that, uh, includes my, my mother-in-law about a trip to Mexico.

It was 1937 or 1939, somewhere around then.

APPRAISER: Well, that's very helpful.

That would suggest these were circa 1930s.

GUEST: Okay.

APPRAISER: They are Hopi, they're from Arizona.

And the man's kilt, it's late 19th century.

The foundation is hand-spun cotton.

The embroidery is wool, and this would have been wool raised by the Hopi.

The red is an aniline color, that's a commercial dye... APPRAISER: ...that would have been acquired in trade.

At the top is a natural brown wool.

The light blue-green is indigo, and then the, the black is sort of an enhanced brown.

And the kilt was worn ceremonially, and it was worn by men doing-- I'm going to change the terminology from kachina to Katsina...

GUEST: Oh.

APPRAISER: ...and that's more preferred today.

GUEST: Okay.

Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: Although kachina is what you see in the literature.

GUEST: Okay.

APPRAISER: So these two figures are Katsina dolls.

GUEST: Okay.

APPRAISER: These were carved by the men...

GUEST: Ooh.

APPRAISER: ...and they're educational devices for children.

GUEST: Okay.

APPRAISER: There are three levels of Katsina figures.

There are spiritual deities, if you will...

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: ...in the upper world, who can influence life on earth.

There are men who impersonate these deities...

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: ...and they dress in outfits that reflect these Katsinas, and they would be wearing this.

And then there's a third level of Katsina, and that are the dolls that are carved for children as learning tools.

Children would be very familiar with the different Katsinas...

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: ...and they would learn about their culture and their religion.

These are carved from cottonwood root, which is a very important substance for two reasons.

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: One, it's easy to carve.

But from a spiritual perspective, these cottonwood trees absorb a tremendous amount of moisture from the earth.

They're conduits for water.

APPRAISER: In Arizona and New Mexico, water is everything.

APPRAISER: On the kilt, these vertical lines represent rain.

GUEST: Oh.

APPRAISER: These step devices represent clouds.

This Katsina is called a snake Katsina, and he has a snake on his kilt.

And this is called a Tasap Katsina.

And you'll notice that the paint on the kilt is identical to the embroidery GUEST: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: ...on this actual kilt.

And they're in wonderful condition.

Probably reflects people handling them.

APPRAISER: This Hopi dance kilt shows use-wear, not any intrusive soiling or damage.

GUEST: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: So, frankly, to me, it's-- it's beautiful, because it has that patina of use.

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

Mm.

APPRAISER: Do you have a feeling for value?

GUEST: I don't, I don't.

APPRAISER: Well, these are very desirable.

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: The kilt, I think on a retail basis, would be worth about $2,000.

GUEST: Okay, mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: On a retail basis, each of these, I would value at about $2,500 a piece.

GUEST: Wow, okay.

Yeah.

That's really nice.

APPRAISER: I don't think there'd be any issue whatsoever with ownership.

GUEST: Okay, mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: I don't think you have any concern, for example, about a sacred and ceremonial garment.

They were made in quantity.

GUEST: Okay.

APPRAISER: You are fortunate to happen to have a rather early one.