Cracked Chinese vase bought for a few hundred in 1980s sells for £1.2million at auction

A CRACKED Chinese vase a surgeon paid a few hundred for in the 1980s and kept in his kitchen sold for £1.2million. The owner’s late father bought the 2ft blue-glazed silver and gold vessel decorated with cranes and bats as he liked the look of it. Asian ceramics expert Mark Newstead told him it looked […]

A CRACKED Chinese vase a surgeon paid a few hundred for in the 1980s and kept in his kitchen sold for £1.2million.

The owner’s late father bought the 2ft blue-glazed silver and gold vessel decorated with cranes and bats as he liked the look of it.

Asian ceramics expert Mark Newstead told him it looked “rather good” on a visit to his Midlands home in the 1990s, but did not inspect it.

He returned years later for a “proper look” and saw the vase had been “moved to a safer spot”.

He noticed emperor Qianlong’s seal mark on its base and said the vase was probably on display at his palace in the 1700s.

The vase went to auction with an estimate of up to £150,000 but wealthy Chinese bidders sent the price rocketing to seven figures.

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With fees, the anonymous buyer of the porcelain vase, which has a slight crack in the neck, paid £1,449,000.

Mr Newstead, from Dreweatts auctioneers in Newbury, Berks, said: “The surgeon didn’t think it was anything important.

“He just bought it because he loved it.

“He had a good eye. The technique of gold and silver is very rare.”