A rare porcelain bowl made by skilled imperial craftsmen during China's Qing dynasty in the early 18th century has sold for $2.048 million (£1.56 million) at a Christie's auction in New York. The 14.3-centimetre bowl was made during the short reign of Emperor Yongzheng, which lasted from 1723 to 1735. In the early 20th century, it passed through the hands of a well-known Paris art dealer. It was later bought by a private collector and donated to the Art Institute of Chicago in 1939. The bowl remained in the museum's collection for 87 years before being put up for auction to raise money for the care and growth of its Asian art collection. According to a press statement from Christie's, the final sale price was five times the bowl's lowest pre-sale estimate. The sale was part of a major two-day autumn auction series in New York, which brought in a total of $25.96 million (£19.8 million) from Chinese works of art.
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