How much does damage matter when antique art glass comes to auction? Two early-20th-century vases by French glassmaker Legras & Cie provide recent examples that perfection isn’t always required for a bidding war. Both had condition issues, and both sold above estimate at Brunk Auctions’ Summer Premier Auction on Jul 30, 2026.
The first was a 20 1/4-inch Les Iris vase with white and purple flowers painted on muted green glass. Long gold leaves rise along the body, and raised gilding circles the neck. Brunk found only remnants of the Legras marks on the base.
Its condition report listed several problems: The base had been drilled through, possibly for use as a lamp. The vase also had scratches, wear, and minor flaking and loss to the raised gilding.
None of that kept it from attracting eight bids. Estimated at $500 to $700, the vase sold for $1,000.
The second Legras vase stood 21 1/2 inches tall. It has a pale blue neck, a yellow-orange body, and two blue birds painted inside an elaborate cartouche. Unlike the partial marks on the Les Iris vase, this one was marked “Legras” on the foot rim.
Brunk noted light wear and scratches on the base, tape remnants, and scattered air bubbles. Ten bids pushed it to $850 against a $300-to-$500 estimate.
The results don’t establish what another damaged Legras vase is worth, but they do show why it helps when the details in a condition report stay attached to the sale price. Both were large, colorful display vases in an Art Nouveau style, but their marks and condition issues differed.
The Les Iris vase had a drilled base as well as wear and losses to its decoration. The bird vase had base wear and tape residue, while the catalog also recorded air bubbles in the glass. Anyone comparing another vase with these results would need to look separately at its maker’s mark, height, form, decoration, drilling, surface wear, and losses. Calling a piece simply “damaged” leaves out most of the information that a useful comparison requires.
Both vases came from a private collection in Bristol, Tennessee. Brunk’s reported prices are hammer prices and do not include the buyer’s premium.
Original auction results at Brunk Auctions ↗
