A Chinese vase – mistook to be a rare artifact – fetched almost $9 million at a French auction – far more than its $2000 estimate.
The vase in question was a Chinese ‘Tianqiuping’-style vase. The vase came under the possession of the anonymous seller from the estate of her mother in France. The vase has reportedly been in her family for generations. The seller was not present for the auction, while the vase came to the auction directly from France.
The Chinese vase was supposed to go on the auction block at the French Osenat Auction House, based in Fontainebleau, France. Specialists at the auction house speculated that the vase likely came from between the 18th and 20th centuries, which would make it a common antique work. However, there was a chance that it could have been much older. Due to the uncertainty surrounding its date, the experts put its worth between €1,500 to €2,000 ($1,500-$2,000).
However, during the auction, the speculation that the vase might be a rare antique led to a flurry of bids. In no time, bids had crossed €7 million. The final hammer price was €9.12 million ($9 million) – bought by an anonymous Chinese buyer. This was more than 4000 times higher than the vase’s initial estimate – thus emerging as the biggest shocker of the evening.
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The vase is adorned with typical blue-and-white floral patterns. It stands 22inches high and 16inches wide. It also features renderings of clouds and dragons. This is not the first ‘Tianqiuping’-style vase to fetch such a price either; in 2018, another vase sold for $14 million at Christie’s Hong Kong.
