Man charged with breaking $120,000 Chihuly glass sculpture

TACOMA — A 43-year-old man has been criminally charged in connection with breaking a $120,000 glass sculpture at the Tacoma Art Museum.

The News Tribune reported that the man has been charged with one count of first-degree malicious mischief in the Friday incident.

Court documents say the man entered a closed exhibit and knocked a Dale Chihuly sculpture titled “Gilded Lavender Ikebana with Lapis Stem and Two Leaves” to the floor, shattering it. Chihuly is a Washington state native known for his colorful, other-worldly glass creations.

The man reportedly was stopped by museum staff who confronted him as he headed toward another closed exhibit.

Court records show the charged Tacoma man has a history of mental illness. He pleaded not guilty Monday in Superior Court and remains in jail on $20,000 bail.

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