It's what?

[mbarker]

That was amusing. It's one of these programs where people bring in odds and ends, and the experts tell them how much it really is worth. In this case, a 77-year-old man brought in a strange vase -- little legs, two little towers, and pretty clearly rusted bronze or copper, a fine green shade. He thought maybe it was worth $100 or $200, but mostly he was just curious as to what it was.

The experts went over it. And said it was worth at least $2 million dollars! They explained that it is a Chinese vase, somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000 years old. They also said that it really was a world treasure... and thanked the old man for letting them know that it existed.

What do you do when you find out that weird vase in the corner is a world treasure, worth a couple million at a minimum? Heck, the host of the show was amazed. He checked twice with the experts -- did they really mean that much? Yep...

I think the old man said something about using it for flowers. I wonder if he'll keep using it for them now?

Comments

[saruby.livejournal.com]

Well, I hope, if it is a world treasure, that he donates it to the appropriate museum, of course. Otherwise, if it has worked for flowers in the past.... what the heck.

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I got to wondering later just how you handle the sale of something like that? Send it to the outfit in London that does major auctions? I mean, eBay probably wouldn't be right :-) I have this feeling that selling such a unique piece may be somewhat difficult, although perhaps collectors lined up right after the show?

Donating it may be the simplest approach.

[saruby.livejournal.com]

Actually, for that price, Sotheby's will be knocking down his door. Their percentage is a nice chunk of change for something like that. But I like the idea of donating it when he is ready to let it go, just because it is a pleasure to be shared with others, a piece of world heritage. All that aside, if the vase brings him pleasure, he should keep it and enjoy it.

[dialyn.livejournal.com]

It's only worth $2 million if you are willing to pay $2 million for it (a flag at Custer's last stand was sold for $2.2 million--if I had that kind of money, I wouldn't spend it on that but, fortunately, I don't). I don't think it is a downgrade for the little vase to be used for flowers. Maybe the old man knew what we missed...the vase is not complete without the flowers in it; that its purpose is to provide a setting for the flowers. I suppose it should be in a museum, to never feel air again, to never have the scent of flowers fall on it again, to be gazed at by people for a second who then go on to look at something they find more interesting. I don't know. I rather like the idea of this old man looking at the flowers in his little vase. I'm in that kind of mood today.

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Good point! After all, whoever made it certainly didn't intend for it to be locked in a cabinet behind glass. I wonder if there is a museum that would put it in a corner where people can really look at it, and perhaps put a flower in it from time to time.