We may never know what happened to Katie, but the Navajo rug she pulled down — or at least one similar to it — was among the most sought-after items at an auction of the late Ian Tyson’s personal belongings.
The sale came to be after Tyson’s daughter contacted an auction house in south Calgary. The iconic Canadian folk musician, whose career spanned more than six decades, died at the age of 89 last December.
According to Kevin King, owner and president of Hall’s Auction Services, the family wanted to give fans the opportunity to own a piece of the Canadian singer-songwriter’s life.
The auction ended Tuesday with items being sold to bidders for as little as $40 and as much as $20,000.
“A lot of the fans that came through over the weekend when we were previewing, they had recollections of having met the man at a concert and wanted a memento,” said King.
He added that the rugs were contested heavily and sold for “pretty good dollars” — some went for $1,800, while others soared up to $20,000.
The family kept the gold records and some of the guitars for themselves. But there were a lot of other items up for grabs that fans got their hands on, including the famed floor covering that shares the name of the hit Tyson song.
One of those rugs sold for $20,000. The others were taken for between $14,000 and $19,000.
But those who couldn’t splash that kind of cash on rugs still had the opportunity to take home a piece of Tyson’s life.
Cowboy boots and jackets were sold for between $160 and $1,100. Some of the art, including paintings and statues, hovered around $250 and went for up to $1,300.
“Obviously, there were things in the sale that I found very attractive,” King said.
“Some of the artwork and the quality saddles that we had in here, they were American-made. They’re beautiful items.”
Tyson’s 1986 song Navajo Rug was chosen by the Western Writers of America as one of the Top 100 western songs of all time. In the nostalgic tune, the rug is associated with a former lover named Katie, who disappeared with the memento of their affair.