Additional Coverage:
- ‘Antiques Roadshow’ guest calls her vase ‘ugly’ and then ends up getting a five-figure appraisal (marketrealist.com)
One woman’s “ugly vase” turned into a treasure on Antiques Roadshow, fetching a five-figure appraisal that left her speechless. The guest, who purchased the unusual ceramic piece 15 years ago for around $580, affectionately dubbed it “the ugly thing” due to its bizarre, almost unsettling appearance. She described it as a puzzling figure, unsure if it depicted a pregnant woman or someone about to topple over.
Appraiser Suzanne Perrault quickly identified the piece as a creation of renowned French artist Jean Cocteau. Cocteau, a multi-talented painter, draftsman, poet, and friend of Picasso, began working with ceramics in the 1950s, drawn to the medium after Picasso’s own foray into pottery. Perrault explained that the vase likely dates back to the 1960s and is one of approximately 300 different forms created by Cocteau.
The vase, bearing the markings “Original edition from Jean Cocteau, Studio Madeline-Jolly,” is part of a small edition produced by the French ceramic studio of Marie Madeline Jolly and Philippe Jolly. Perrault noted the unique detachable horns, a deliberate artistic choice adding to the piece’s quirky charm. She speculated it may even be a prototype for later prints.
After a detailed examination, Perrault estimated the vase’s auction value between $10,000 and $15,000 – over 30 times its original purchase price. The guest, clearly stunned, could only respond, “That’s fun, for an ugly vase.
Perfect. Wonderful, thank you.”
Proving once again that beauty, and value, are often in the eye of the beholder.