An American bought it for $3, will sell it for $5000: the Latvian museum has no money to buy the vase 0 11

The Museum of Decorative Arts and Design (DMDM) does not have the financial means to acquire the porcelain vase by artist Jūlijs Madernieks, which is currently in the USA. This was reported by the museum's director Inese Baranovska.

According to Lsm.lv, a resident of the USA, Lawrence Ray, purchased the vase at a thrift store in Columbus for just $3. The item has minor damage — a crack along the bottom edge, and a stamp from the Riga workshop Burtnieks, which operated from 1929 to 1939, remains on the bottom. Ray would like the vase to go to a Latvian museum or a professional collector; however, the option of donating it is not currently being considered.

According to an unnamed porcelain expert, in the current market conditions, a price of up to 2000 euros could be considered a gift for the buyer, while an amount up to 5000 euros would be a mutually beneficial deal for both parties.

Baranovska stated that the vase's owner, after conducting his own research, first contacted the educational department of DMDM. The information was then passed on to the curator of the ceramics and porcelain collection, Dace Ljavine, who confirmed that the vase depicted in the photographs is indeed a work by Madernieks.

DMDM has a sketch of Madernieks' vase — a composition on paper, presented in the permanent exhibition. The museum was previously aware that a similar vase is in the collection of Russian billionaire Petr Aven. Before the sanctions were imposed, this item was exhibited in 2012 at an exhibition dedicated to Riga porcelain.

Baranovska emphasized that porcelain from the interwar period is a great rarity, and prices for such items in Latvia are very high. Therefore, even at auctions, it is difficult for the museum to acquire such works. Currently, DMDM does not have the means to purchase the vase. However, the museum hopes that it can be acquired by a Latvian collector with whom they can establish cooperation.