class=”sc-cffd1e67-0 fmXrkB”>
She was strolling through the store and happened to make a lucky hit. Jessica Vincent, 43, bought a valuable vase at a thrift store in Virginia – for just $3.99.
Only then did she realize how much the ship had actually been sold for. The vase was finally auctioned on December 13. The price: $107,100!
Bought as decoration for her house
The 43-year-old was actually just looking for something nice for her home when she entered the store in June. And then she saw the vase decorated with green and purple stripes. At the bottom of the bottle she saw the words Murano and Italia.
“I bought it because I thought it would look nice in my house,” Vincent told the AP. The horse trainer never thought she would be able to sell the vase.
Island in Italy famous for glass art
At home she noticed that the colors were not simply applied to the glass, but seemed to be in the glass itself. The vase also felt unusually heavy for a piece of glass.
Vincent became suspicious and posted a photo of the vase in a Facebook group for glass art. And it soon became clear: she had not bought a simple vase. The word ‘Murano’ on the floor gave that away. Murano is an island in Venice and has been known for special glass art since the 13th century.
There are only a few copies
The vase was manufactured by the renowned glass company Venini and designed by the Italian architect and designer Carlo Scarpa (1906-1978). Scarpa was the leading Italian glass designer in the mid-20th century and the vase was part of a series he designed in 1942.
The collection was called Pennellate, meaning brushstroke, and was made by adding colored opaque glass as the vase was blown. Only a few copies were made because they were so difficult to make.
A small crack would have reduced the value dramatically
Vincent should definitely contact a renowned auction house, as she was advised in the Facebook group. And she did. She wrote an email to Wright Auction House in Chicago.
President Richard Wright was amazed at the perfect condition of the vase. A small crack in the glass would have reduced the value of the vase to less than $10,000.
Vincent is happy that the vase has been auctioned
After two experts checked its authenticity, the vase was auctioned on December 13. An anonymous bidder secured the rare piece for $107,100. Vincent received $83,500 and the auction house received $23,600.
The horse trainer is happy that the vase is now in a better place than her house. It would have just made her nervous to have something like that in the house. “My little farm from the 1930s is not the right place for something so spectacular.” (ymh)
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
