A Connecticut man paid $35 for a small blue-and-white porcelain bowl at a yard sale near New Haven in 2020, unaware that he had stumbled upon an exceptionally rare Chinese imperial-era artefact. The unnamed antiques enthusiast suspected the bowl might be special and later sent photographs to Sotheby's for an evaluation. Specialists identified it as a Ming dynasty bowl dating to the early 15th century, during the reign of the Yongle Emperor. Only seven comparable bowls were known to exist, including the Connecticut discovery. Sotheby's initially estimated that it could sell for $300,000 to $500,000. When the bowl went under the hammer in New York on March 17, 2021, it attracted 15 bids and eventually sold for $721,800, including fees.
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