Seattle Crazy Quilt, ca. 1890

Appraised on: June 15, 2002

Appraised in: Seattle, Washington

Appraised by: Nancy Druckman

Category: Folk Art

Episode Info: Relative Riches (#1319)
Seattle, Hour 1 (#704)

Originally Aired: January 27, 2003

IMAGE: 1 of 2  

Appraisal Video: (2:12)

GUEST: Well, it was my grandmother's. She had received this quilt from her mother, and the back of it was actually a contribution made by some Chinese immigrants who had been burned out of their homes at the time of the Seattle Great Fire which was...

APPRAISER: Which was like the Chicago Fire in terms of devastating...

GUEST: Oh, it was terrible. My grandmother watched it from her bedroom window.

APPRAISER: So this actually was made by her mother.

GUEST: Yes, by her mother, yes.

APPRAISER: Right, and the date was about? 1889 was the fire.

GUEST: 1889, yeah. And then she backed it with these Chinese silk handkerchiefs that they gave to her in appreciation for letting them sleep and cook in her home.

APPRAISER: Well, it's a remarkable quilt, and I think, as you said, the thing that's most exciting about it is... the backing of it is made with those Chinese silk handkerchiefs. So it's just an incredible visual. It also is an incredible piece of Seattle history, right?

GUEST: It is.

APPRAISER: Um, we, you and I have been looking at some of these ribbons that are embroidered into the quilt. And this is the Seattle Women's Christian Temperance Union?

GUEST: Yes, she was very active.

APPRAISER: And then this one over here is... Cokslay and Sugarman or...

GUEST: I don't...

APPRAISER: Yeah. And it says "WT," which has got to be "Washington Territory." So this piece is really a time capsule in terms of your family history and also Seattle history.

GUEST: Yes.

APPRAISER: Well, it's in remarkably good condition, and I would say that the value of this piece is probably at auction somewhere around $10,000.

GUEST: Oh, my! (laughs) I don't believe that. I don't...

APPRAISER: Yeah, I know.

GUEST: Oh, my goodness. Yeah, absolutely. It's a very special piece.