'I bought colourful vase at Goodwill for £3.15 - it sold at auction for £85,000'

20 December 2023 , 11:33

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Jessica Vincent found a vase by Italian architect and designer Carlo Scarpa (Image: AP)

A woman searching around for bargains in a thrift store was delighted to buy a colourful vase – but was shocked to find out that it was actually worth tens of thousands of pounds.

Jessica Vincent had thought the vase, which was shaped like a bottle and had ribbons of colour, aqua green and amethyst purple, that spiralled up its glass surface like stripes of paint, would be an ideal addition to her house. She thought it looked old amongst the clutter of other bric-a-brac and on examining it closer she could read the words "Murano" and "Italia" on its base. She paid just £3.15 ($3.99) for it at a Goodwill outside of Richmond, Virginia.

The horse trainer said: "I bought it thinking it would look beautiful in my house somewhere. I definitely didn’t buy it thinking, 'Oh, I’m going to sell this'." But the 43-year-old changed her mind after trying to find out more about the piece. And on December 13, the vase sold through the Wright Auction House for £85,000 ($107,100). The buyer, a top collector from Europe, wished to remain private.

The vase was part of Carlo Scarpa's Pennelatte series in the 1940s (AP)

A big fan of PBS' Antiques Roadshow Vincent came across the incredible find after years of combing yard sales and thrift stores with her mother. She visits thrift stores a few times a week with her partner and has dreamed of making that 'big find'. Vincent said: "I always felt like I had a good eye. But I’m really surprised that nobody picked it up before I did."

Vincent and her partner Naza Acosta went to the store on a June afternoon. The vase felt heavy in her hands. And while Vincent had seen painted glass before, she thought the vase’s colours were a bit different. They came from the glass itself, she said, "and it was just so delicately done".

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She posted pictures in Facebook groups for glass art and soon joined a private one for Murano glass. The "Murano" on the vase’s bottom referred to the island in Venice that has been famous for its glasswork since the 13th century. Its highly prized creations have included ornate crystal chandeliers and mirror frames, many of which adorn the palaces of Europe’s aristocracy.

Scarpa was the top Italian glass designer in the mid-20th century, while the vase was part of a series he created in 1942. The collection was called Pennellate, which means brushstroke, and was made by adding coloured opaque glass to the vase as it was blown.

The vase was produced by the renowned glass company Venini and designed by Italian architect Carlo Scarpa, who died in 1978. One response on Facebook gave her chills: "Those are very rare. Every collector would love to have that. But most people cannot afford them." Vincent was referred to Richard Wright, president of the Wright Auction House in Chicago.

He said: "The minute I saw her email. I knew what it was and how rare it was. It was basically a duet between Carlo Scarpa and a master blower who had to physically translate (Scarpa’s) drawings. You have to keep rotating this vase the entire time or it’ll slump off the pipe. While at the same time you’re applying these delicate brushes of colour that have this absolute lightness to them."

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Few were made because they were so difficult to create. The auction house knows of only one other in this form and colour combination. It is in a private collection. Two Italian glass specialists visited Vincent and she said: "Just the look on their faces. It was incredible to have experts who handle very important pieces of glass who were very excited for my little thrift-store vase."

Perhaps just as miraculous was its perfect condition, Wright said. A small chip in the glass would have reduced its value to less than £7,800 ($10,000). Wright Auction House said it will get about £18,600 ($23,600) from the purchase of Vincent’s vase, while she will receive about £66,000 ($83,500).

Vincent said a good chunk of the money will go to installing an HVAC system into an old farmhouse she recently bought. It is currently being warmed by space heaters. She added: "I’m not independently wealthy, so it’s going to be really good to have a little breathing room." As for the vase, Vincent hopes it will be in a museum someday.

She said: "My little 1930s farmhouse is not the right showcase for something so spectacular. It would also make me super nervous to have it in my house. It’s a lot of responsibility when you find out how much something is worth."

Paul Donald