VASE & BETHANY

Helen taught herself English. She and Harry had settled in Chicago. Their family history was one bruised by persecution and so they fled their Russian homeland. They had 6 children, 2 sons and 4 daughters. Harry did well in the construction industry and his children wanted for nothing. In the 1920s his daughters Micky and Francis travelled to China, on a particularly glorified ‘shopping trip’. This is where Francis bought the vase. She eyed the antique dealer, carefully hid the base and nonchalantly handed the vase over to him. She’d identified the seal on the base as one issued by the imperial court, it bore a star – marking it out as an object of exceptional value. As a child Bethany had always admired the vase in her grandparent’s house. After Harry died and Helen moved to Arizona the vase went with her. Bethany’s uncle had also admired the vase, ‘Jefferey’ was written on its base marking it out as his to inherit. But when Bethany announced to her grandmother that she was engaged, Helen insisted that she must have the vase.

05 May 2013