Van Briggle to Van Broken

It's always like Christmas morning when the over encumbered but ever cheerful postal lady delivers my new inventory. No matter how stunning an object photographs, I need the tactile element of running my fingers over a smooth matte glazed finish on a beautiful vintage ceramic piece. I was looking forward to doing just that with an aqua glazed Van Briggle vase I had procured at a reasonable price. It was to be proudly displayed at my new antiques booth in Amherst, New Hampshire. Alas the package arrived and the lovely lady that had sold this Van Briggle to me had packed and shipped it with care, the words "Fragile" clearly marked. Well, surely accidents do happen, thus the caveat to always have a package insured, especially in the world of ceramics! The Van Briggle had already cracked and crumbled upon my tender unpacking of it. That which was not already in fragments was perilously close with the fault lines of ruin spreading down the vase. And so now I own a Van Broken, still beautiful in that archaeological shard sort of way. My creatively inspired artist sister in law wants to make it into one of her exquisite mosaics! Now that is what you call antique repurposing! I know she is sure to create a work of art that will be most exquisite. This is how we as antique dealers and collectors must see the bright side when a piece shows up looking like it was dropped kicked from its destination, not mailed. I will keep you apprised of Jenn's reworking of the Van Broken into a Van Beautiful.