Mentally-Ill Man Destroys $120,000 Piece of Art in Tacoma

The 43-year-old man waltzed into a closed exhibit and knocked the sculpture to the floor, then headed toward another closed exhibit before stopped by museum staff.

The piece was by Pacific Northwest celebrity Dale Chihuly, whose glass-blown sculptures adorn public spaces throughout the world.

The expensive and rare piece housed at the Tacoma Art Museum was titled, “Gilded Lavender Ikebana with Lapis Stem and Two Leaves” and was valued at $120,000.

Tacoma police say the man has a history of mental illness. He plead not guilty in court Monday.