In the autumn of 1960, Professor Isaac Baumbeck finds himself alone in his Massachusetts estate. A widower seeking smaller quarters, he decides to move from his large home, which is full of memories but not much else. As he prepares to sell most of his possessions, he enlists the help of his son, Jonathan, and his son's friend, an antique salesman named Steven, both of whom may not have the Professor's best interests at heart.

During their inventory they realize that each object unleashes strange, even corporeal memories. Together they unearth not only the Professor's longing for the lost persons of the past but also his deep-seated distaste over his son's city-wild lifestyle. In such a way, The Porcelain Vase asks us to consider what it means to live a life constantly interrupted and formed by the rubble, dust and light of memory.