An extremely rare Chinese vase from the 18th century, bought by a surgeon in England for several hundred pounds in the 1980s, was sold at auction for almost 1.5 million pounds.
A 60 cm (2 ft) blue glazed, silver and gilded vase decorated with cranes and bats was created for the court of Emperor Qianlong in 1700.
Bought by the owner’s late father for his appearance, the vase stood in the kitchen of the family home in the Midlands, where it was spotted in the 1990s by antiques expert Mark Newsted during a public visit.
Years later, Newstead identified the Chinese Emperor Qianlong’s 6-character sign on its base and said the vase was probably on display in the halls of Qing Palace in the mid-18th century.
Berkshire Dreweatts auctioneers estimated the value at between £ 100,000 and £ 150,000, but the piece reached £ 1.2 million on Wednesday, bringing the buyer’s premium closer to £ 1.5 million.
It was reportedly sold to an international buyer over the phone.
The imperial sign was on the base of the vase. Photo: Dreweatts
Newstead, a specialist consultant in Asian ceramic art at Dreweatts, said: “I was at home with my wife for lunch in the 1990s. I was surprised to see the vase in the kitchen and said, “I think that’s a pretty good thing,” but I didn’t pick it up or examine it, because it wouldn’t be appropriate.
“The surgeon bought it only as a decoration. We do not have a receipt, but the daughter is quite sure that he bought it somewhere between 1988 and 1993. We are delighted with the result. This shows the demand for the best porcelain produced in the world. “
The vase, which has a cracked throat, has been described as “proof of creativity” by Qianlong artisans who used enameling techniques to cater to the emperor’s taste in exotic styles.
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It would take at least three kilns in the oven to achieve the different colors, including over 1200 ° C for cobalt blue.
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