For decades, a large, dirt-covered porcelain dish lay beneath a sofa in a north London home, its significance unknown to the family who kept it. Now identified as a rare example of Chinese imperial porcelain associated with the court of Empress Dowager Cixi, the dish is expected to sell for £20,000 to £30,000 at auction. The 2ft-wide piece, which weighs about 30lb, was brought to Britain in the early 20th century by Chinese immigrant Wing Lung Goo and passed down through his family. Asian art specialist John Axford of Salisbury auction house Woolley & Wallis identified a four-character seal mark on its base linking it to Chuxiu Palace in Beijing’s Forbidden City. Decorated in imperial yellow with green and aubergine enamels, the dish is scheduled to be offered for sale on 10 November 2026. Asian art specialist John Axford identified the four-character seal mark on its base, which links the dish to Chuxiu Palace in Beijing’s Forbidden City. Comparable dishes bearing the same mark provide further context for understanding the piece and its place within late Qing imperial porcelain.
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