DENVER, PENN. — We all dream of it — having a simple object that turns out to be so rare that it sells at auction for hundreds of times its estimate. On June 19 at Morphy’s Fine and Decorative Arts auction, this scenario happened when a Russian pottery vase with metal overlay, dated 1903 and with impressed marks on the bottom, came to the block with an estimate of $600-900. Sixty-seven bids later, the 7½-inch-tall vase with a reddish pottery under the metal overlay sold at $141,450 in the June 18 and 19 sale that totaled $3.3 million.

Sarah Stoltzfus, Morphy’s marketing director, said there was an incredible amount of interest in this piece, both nationally and internationally. There is also a lot of speculation as to what the vase really is, so this is a story to be continued. Someone out there will know something. A full review of the auction will appear in a future issue.