A 250-year-old vase made for the Emperor of China discovered in a kitchen in England has sold for a staggering £1.5million, ten times its estimate. The 18th Century vase was bought by an English surgeon in the 1980s for a few hundred pounds and passed down to his son who had no idea it had such value and history.
It was only when a visiting antiques specialist spotted it in their kitchen that he realised what was sitting in his home. The vase had an estimate of £100,000 to £150,000 but after fierce bidding eventually went for £1,449,000 including buyers' premium.
The hammer price was £1.2million, a record for the auction house Dreweatts. One onlooker said: "The atmosphere was electric. The bidding on the phones went backwards and forwards. It was crazy."
