£55 Ming vase sells for £1.1m
A RARE Ming dynasty vase bought for just £55 in 1935 yesterday sold for £1.1million – more than four times its estimated value.
The exquisite blue and white vase, which is painted with delicate goldfish, was made during the reign of Chinese Emperor Jiajing from 1522-66.
It was bought for £1,117,600 by a private bidder in a packed sale at Bonhams auction house in London – despite an estimate of just £250,000.
It was originally bought in 1935 from a Chinese art dealer by renowned biscuit maker Reginald Palmer, from whose family collection it was yesterday sold.
Colin Sheaf, Bonhams’ head of Asian art, said: “There is only a very limited number of objects of this rarity and beauty available.”