GUEST: Well, in the early 1930s, my father went to Persia to teach for three years, and he bought many items-- rugs, and amber, and this horse blanket. Supposedly, when he bought it in the 1930s, it was a hundred years old already. He supposedly paid about $100 for it, and that's really about all I know about it.

APPRAISER: Yes, it is from the 19th century, so it was old. It may not have been a hundred years old at the time...

GUEST: Okay.

APPRAISER: But it definitely was made in the 19th century, probably in the range of 1870 to 1880. This would have fit over the horse, so this section would have been in the back, over the rump. It's called a Rasht horse cover. Rasht is a city in Northwest Persia that borders the Caspian Sea. And it was known as the gateway to Europe-- there was a major trade center with Russia and Caucasia and Iran. They were known for beautiful needlework. And this piece is representative of the height of some of the most beautiful Qajar-era work.

GUEST: Really.

APPRAISER: Which, and the Qajar era was from the late 1700s until the early 1900s. And this most likely was a dowry piece that was made by the bride's family. And it could have been for a wedding ceremony or something else like that. And it wouldn't have been used more than a few times before it was put away, which is why it's in such wonderful condition. The technique itself is a combination of mosaic work, where they're taking pieces of broad cloth and working them in with each other. And then appliqué, which is shown in these flowers where they've taken a small piece of another cloth and sewn it on top. And then on top of the whole piece, they've done this incredible embroidery in silk.

GUEST: So this was all done by hand.

APPRAISER: It was all done by hand.

GUEST: Wow.

APPRAISER: And a real labor of love.

GUEST: Wow.

APPRAISER: And it's one of these most beautiful ones I've ever seen.

GUEST: Wow.

APPRAISER: From a standpoint of color, magnificent colors. The green in this border... Usually, when you see green in old textiles, it's faded to sort of a blue-green, because oftentimes, the yellow fades, so the green is really beautiful. The designs at the bottom are recognizable to many people as paisley. But in this culture, they're referred to as boteh. And this is a design that's been around for centuries, and it's so beautifully represented in this border. I would say you would have to insure this for $15,000.

GUEST: Okay. Wow.

APPRAISER: It's one of the nicest I've ever seen.