Blue and White Porcelain Vase Sells for 7.66 million (yes, dollars)

 

Blue and White porcelain is hotter than ever. What is especially cool is that it has been around practically forever! And some of it is so old and rare that it is very valuable. More about that in a sec.

Last Monday I had a very special treat! I got the chance to hang out with the lovely interior designer Meredith Heron and delightful husband Asa Weinstein. Some of you may recall that Meredith was in my list of 20 interior designers I would hire. We struck up a friendship over time after I asked if I could use a couple of her pics from the High Point Market Spring 2014.

We met at the D&D building and hit a few of the top show rooms. Then for an exceptional treat, they took me out to lunch at Bergdorf Goodman! If you’re visiting NYC, you must see this store. From the moment you enter, it’s transformative–positively heavenly.

The restaurant is way cool and I didn’t realize this until I researched this post, it was designed by Kelly Wearstler. Remember? She’s the one who got arrested in Florida for being one of the most talented creatures on the planet— I guess.

Photos via: Kelly Wearstler

That’s called a Porter Chair if you don’t already know. I bet that’s fun to sit in.

Fabulous setting, food and company!

Then, we headed over to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see the exhibit called China, Through the Looking Glass. We all love Chinoiserie and there was certainly plenty of that and a lot of incredible fashion, much of it from the 20th century, but much was done recently.

photo via: Laurel Bern (please feel free to “steal” with a link back)

photo via: Laurel Bern (please feel free to “steal” with a link back)

There were also plenty of porcelains and carved lacquered pieces.

photo via: Laurel Bern (please feel free to “steal” with a link back)

What amazed me is that a lot of the pieces didn’t look all that different from the stuff that’s made today.

In one exhibit was a clip of Fred Astaire and Lucille Bremer in Zeigfeld Follies 1945. Quite camp.

My plum blossom vase give away turned into a lamp by the lovely winner Geoya Stout.

Asa took a shot of Meredith and me. We talked about keeping it real. Well, it doesn’t get more real than mascara running down my face at 4:00 PM – lol.

Laurel, what about the friggin’ blue and white porcelain vase for SEVEN MIL?

Okay… sorry to keep you in suspense. Yes. Someone paid 7.66 million dollars for a vase. It’s one of the following. Can you guess which one it is? The others are all repros, under $400 each.

 

Did you pick it out? Yeah, it’s the blue and white dragon vase with the darkest background. And surely, it’s lovely, but SEVEN MILLION? I bet that dude had a massive case of buyer’s remorse. I mean. really.

second vase was sold at I-collector, probably for more than $400, but nowhere near $7,000,000.00!

The other images are via One King’s Lane.

Do you love blue and white porcelain and Chinoiserie? There’s a lot here. and here.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

xo,