Qianlong porcelain
A Chinese vase has set a world record that has exceeded any of the auctions that a piece of Chinese art has ever seen before. The £53.1 million surprise came out from a low profile house clearance sale.
The pre-estimate for the Qianlong porcelain vase from the 18th century was for £ 0.8 to 1.2 million. But, it was wiped away by an unprecedented bid from an anonymous person from Mainland China. Bainbridges, one of England’s provincial auctioneers, sold the vase, and received a daunting £ 8.6 million in premium fee.
The editor of the Antiques Trade Gazette, Ivan Macquisten said that in the present art world, no other bidding market comes near the Chinese art market. He further remarked that the most fascinating thing about the auction was that it was not carried-out by bigwigs like the Christie’s or Sotheby’s, but by small-time auctioneers working out of a Ruislip warehouse.
He added that given the fact that the largest sale ever by the auctioneer that is before this record sale made them £ 100,000 surely means that the owner would be thinking of retiring with the proceeds made from this sale’s fees.
It is also reported that the auctioneers for a moment were so overwhelmed with the bidding amount that they left the room to take a gasp of fresh air. The Chinese vase is a 16-inch tall piece, designed with floral effects and fishes. It is believed to date back to the era of Qianlong, Qing dynasty’s fourth emperor, who ruled over China around 1740.
Helen Porter from the auctioning company mentions that the vase would once have been a decoration in the Royal Palace and it must have been fired from the Imperial kilns. She further added that the porcelain vase depicts the pinnacle of Chinese artistic beauty depicted in the skill of a decorator and ceramicist.
