A cobalt blue and white Chinese vase dating from 18th-century just sold for $1.8 million in an online auction – more than 320 times its estimate. Yes, you see well. More than 320 times, since ase was estimated to sell for just $5,000.
This special vase vase with an elongated pear-shape and lotus-flower mouth opening was discovered in the country home of an anonymous New England family, where it had been for generations.
The exquisite urn is touted to be in a pristine condition and boasts in an allover lotus scroll pattern, with animal masks on each shoulder. It further carries two reign marks on the bottom; a six-character Yongzheng mark and a double circle; which makes it extremely rare.
Sold as part of Boston-based Skinner Auction House’s sale of Asian Art Works Online (June 9–18), this vase netted more than half of the sale’s total, which edged above $2.5 million.
There were some 16 bidders volleying for the vase at virtual auction. Dowling said, “it only ever takes two people… to know what something is worth and compete to win it.”