Goodwill Vase Turns Out To Be A Rare Thrift Store Artifact
Jessica VincentJessica Vincent holding the Carlo Scarpa vase she found at Goodwill.
In June 2023, Jessica Vincent went to her local Goodwill store in Hanover County, Virginia, and stumbled upon an eye-catching red and green vase. Despite her partner encouraging her to put it back, Vincent felt drawn to the item.
“I circled back because I wanted to go check that vase out — and it was still there,” Vincent told The Washington Post. “I knew that day it was coming home with me. I said, ‘Even if it’s $8.99, I’m bringing it home,’ which is expensive, in my mind.”
Vincent examined the vase and found the letter “M” carved into the bottom. Curious, she wondered if it could have any relation to Murano, an island off the coast of Venice known for its glass production.
After purchasing the vase for the low price of $3.99, Vincent posted a photo of it in a Facebook group for glass identification. Some posters suggested that it may be the work of renowned designer Carlo Scarpa — and they were right.
Vincent then sent photos to Wright Auction House, and president Richard Wright was immediately excited by the images. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, look at this thing!'” Wright told The Washington Post. “She hadn’t even told me that she had gotten it from a thrift store, but I could tell she was authentic. As a result, I felt very confident the piece was real.”
Experts determined that it was part of Scarpa’s “Pennellate” series from the 1940s. Ultimately, the vase sold at auction to an anonymous buyer for an extraordinary $107,100.
“Knowing that Jessica went into this Goodwill in Virginia and saw this glass vase sitting in a thrift store undamaged is unbelievable,” Wright concluded. “This was a gift from the thrifting gods.”
After reading about these 11 priceless artifacts found at thrift stores, dive into the true story of the Monuments Men, the historians who rescued precious artifacts during World War II. Then, read about the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Heist, the biggest art theft in history that is still unsolved.
