First World Problem: Broken Vase

May 15, 2014 11:38 AM

My Bengal cat broke my favorite vase in all of creation.

I know better than to ignore my cat in the early AM when she is ready to eat. But I needed to do some stretching for my back before I got on with the day.

Seemingly out of spite for being put on hold, she climbed a counter to reach a vase that was parked on the ledge -- pulled at a stem that was in the vase and -- crash, boom, broke.

Called the people I bought it from and the woman said the company had gone out of biz AND she couldn't remember the company's name.

Here is a pic of what's left of the vase.

Does anyone have any idea where I might find a new one? A long shot I know, but sometimes the hive mind has forged amazing connections in the past.

Thanks

posted by zenpop to Shopping (13 answers total)

Is it the shape of the vase you loved, or the design? If you just love the long neck with slender body, this vase from CB2 is pretty lovely. If you want the design, I've had success with this seller from etsy doing a custom finish on a vase.
posted by banannafish at 11:53 AM on May 15, 2014

Response by poster: Hi banannafish

It was both, the shape -- which I should have noted in post was short, about 7 inches tall. And the design, dot pattern.

Thanks.
posted by zenpop at 12:02 PM on May 15, 2014

You could learn Kintsugi!
posted by rhizome at 12:08 PM on May 15, 2014 [9 favorites]

West Elm might have some options that might fulfill your vase needs or at least come close enough if you can't find the original vase.
posted by lydhre at 12:13 PM on May 15, 2014

Look for a store like this one near you?
posted by Aizkolari at 12:39 PM on May 15, 2014

Depending on how much you are willing to shop around, you might want to call or stop by a couple home staging companies in your area; I swear I've seen just that sort of thing in a number of condos and houses staged for sale (at least around here in the Bay Area - I'm sure the decor varies across the country). You could pop into their showroom and if, as I suspect, they have anything like this, make an offer to buy it off 'em.
posted by Joey Buttafoucault at 12:57 PM on May 15, 2014

I'm with rhyizome - I'd kintsugi that in a heartbeat! Wabi sabi FTW!
posted by IAmBroom at 12:58 PM on May 15, 2014 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: The vase crashed onto granite, which pretty much pulverized a 1/4 of it.

Good idea re the staging folks. Thanks!
posted by zenpop at 2:53 PM on May 15, 2014

There exist antiques restorers who can pretty much piece back together anything that wasn't pulverized into dust. I had a family friend in that line of work for a long time. Check your local phone book under Art or Antiques, or call around to antique china/ceramics dealers and ask if they know anyone.
posted by blnkfrnk at 5:47 PM on May 15, 2014

Just because I love it so much - the missing portion of the pottery is not a problem for kintsugi:

There are a few major styles or types of Kintsugi:

Crack (ひび?), the use of gold dust and resin or lacquer to attach broken pieces with minimal overlap or fill-in from missing pieces

Piece Method (欠けの金継ぎ例?), where a replacement ceramic fragment is not available and the entirety of the addition is gold or gold/lacquer compound

Joint Call (呼び継ぎ?), where a similarly shaped but non-matching fragment is used to replace a missing piece from the original vessel creating a patchwork effect.[11]
posted by IAmBroom at 12:51 PM on May 16, 2014

Best answer: This looks to me to be the sister to your vase - same pattern, but a shorter, wider shape. And look in the background - it's all blurry, but doesn't that look like your vase? The store is Urban Indigo, in Oakland, California.

https://www.facebook.com/urbanindigo/posts/10152409753719564:0
posted by MexicanYenta at 2:21 AM on May 17, 2014

Response by poster: Thank you everyone. And Mexican Yenta (the best handle I have ever seen on askMF) you nailed. Yes, that's it! Appreciate your eagle eye.

ZP
posted by zenpop at 9:03 PM on May 17, 2014 [2 favorites]

Oh, yay! Oddly enough, I didn't go looking for it, that pic just popped up in my Facebook feed! And I didn't even notice the one in the background until I opened the pic in my browser in order to get a link to send you so you could look at the ones in the foreground.
Crossing my fingers that it's not just a prop and that they'll sell it to you!
posted by MexicanYenta at 2:12 AM on May 18, 2014