by Timothy Rutt
John Moran Auctioneers of Altadena had a hand in this happy story, as an old family Navajo blanket belonging to Loren Krytzer of Antelope Valley brought $1.8 million at auction and changed his life.
Krytzer, who was living on disability payments following a foot amputation, saw a blanket similar to his appraised on the "Antiques Roadshow" for up to $500,000. He took his blanket — handed down in the family for generations — to John Moran's monthly "What's It Worth" valuation day in March.
Moran recognized the blanket as a First-Phase chief's wearing blanket with lac-dyed red stripes. Only four are known to exist outside of public collections, and, according to information provided by Moran, fewer than 100 First Phase blankets are known to exist. According to a press release from Moran, "this design variant of the 19th century artifacts is considered the holy grail of Navajo textile collectors." One example nearly identical to Krytzer's is "a star exhibit of the Smithsonianʼs National Museum of the American Indian."
Moran named it the "Chantland Blanket" after the first known owner John Chantland, a Norwegian immigrant turned tradesman who acquired it in the 1870s after settling in the town of Mayville, Dakota Territory.
The blanket went up for auction at the Pasadena Convention Center on June 19. According to Moran's release, "After a pitched battle between phone and floor bidders from across the country, the well-known dealer Donald Ellis of Donald Ellis Gallery in New York and Ontario, bidding from the floor, emerged the victor as the stunned consignor looked on." The total price, including 20% buyer's premium, was $1.8 million.
Moran's release goes on to say, "This sale price eclipses the previous record for a Navajo blanket when a similar example sold for $522,500 to a buyer at Sothebyʼs New York in 1989. It is the second-highest price ever realized at auction for a Native American artifact of any type."
The video above tells the story of Krytzer's change of luck with the help of an Altadena auction house.
Want to try your luck? The next "What's It Worth" is on July 18 at John Moran Auctioneers, 735 W. Woodbury Road from 9 AM to 1 PM.
