The Priceless Pothead

Early Ming Dynasty?  $200,000 at Auction?

When my daughter, Diane, was about 12 years old, she came home from school one day proudly carrying a ceramic creation she had made in a pottery class.  The creation was a human head that was hollowed out for use as a vase or similar function.

Without a doubt, it is the strangest looking thing imaginable.  My initial thought was that she either has an incredible imagination or was under the influence of a hallucinogen.

It turns out that she has an incredible imagination....that, plus the fact that an artist she is not.  Ha.

But, as happens, the "Pothead", as it has been dubbed, has assumed an important and honored place in our home.  It is now a part of our family lore, to be discussed and laughed about whenever we gather together.

Diane and Me, Taken Earlier This Year

To be sure, all of us thought at the time that it was a cute piece of junk, to be thrown away at first chance.  But somehow it ended up in my office, then it was in our den, then it moved with Cindy and me to Texas, where it has been sitting for years on our hearth.

It is a wonderful conversation piece.  When friends come over, they invariably ask about it.  I always tell them it is "early Ming Dynasty".  No one has believed me yet, but maybe some day......

My fantasy is to take it to be appraised on Antique Road Show and have the conversation go something like this:

EXPERT:  Do you have any idea what this piece might be worth?
ME:  No----maybe $1.50?
EXPERT:  Well, I'm glad you're sitting down, Clint, because we think this magnificent piece would fetch at least $200,000 at auction.