A representative AI image of a colourful glass vase with swirling green, burgundy and clear patterns. (Image Credits: ChatGPT)
Initially, the Wright Auction House estimated the vase would sell for $30,000 to $50,000, according to the New York Times. It went under the hammer on 13 December 2023 and sold for $107,100. Vincent received about $83,500, with approximately $23,600 going to the auction house.
Because even a chip, no matter how small it was, could drag the value below $10,000, this was an important highlight.
She recalled their excitement when they first saw it: “It was incredible to have experts who handle very important pieces of glass who were very excited for my little thrift-store vase. ” The process was pedantic; as a result, only a small number of pieces were known to have been made. Wright said the auction house was cognizant of one other vase with the same shape and colour combination, which was held in a private collection. Experience gave her an edge, but she needed proof of what she had found. Vincent, in order to be sure from her home, posted photographs of the vase in online glass-identification groups on Facebook. The responses from members suggested the design resembled work by Carlo Scarpa and advised her to go to Wright Auction House. This prompted her to contact the auction house for an expert assessment. Richard Wright, president of the auction house, recognised the design from her photograph and arranged for the vase’s examination. Wright sent two Italian glass specialists to Virginia to check out its authenticity. Vincent brought the vase out wrapped in bubble wrap and a tablecloth. Vincent’s vase had no chips or cracks. The buyer was a private collector and, following their request, remained anonymous.
She had set herself a ceiling of about $8.99, but the cashier said $3.99, according to The New York Times. She assumed the vase would’ve been worth around $1,000 or $2,000, but had not identified its maker. A routine shopping excursion through a secondhand retail store led to the authentication of an old masterpiece. A small mark on the base sent Jessica Vincent looking beyond the price tag. The bottle-shaped glass vessel had no price displayed when she found it at a Goodwill shop in Hanover County, Virginia.