A vase which was destined for a house clearance and valued at just £50 has sold for £15,000 at auction - after turning out to be a 400-year-old Chinese relic. Auctioneer Charles Hanson thought little of it when he came across the item during a routine visit to a modest two bedroomed house.
The vividly-painted bulbous vase with stylised tulips on the neck was given to the seller's father when he was working as a chauffeur in the 1950s. Believing it was a reproduction, Charles listed the blue and white bottle for sale at just £50 but withdrew it from auction when "extraordinary" bids started to come in.
On further inspection, the piece turned out to be a Chinese treasure from the transitional period circa 1640 - making it nearly four centuries old. It was relisted with a guide price of between £2,000 to £3,000 by Hansons Auctioneers and was bought by a Chinese bidder for £15,000 on April 1.
