The 18th-century porcelain vase, sold by a family clearing out a deceased relative's house, went to a Chinese buyer for 51.6 million pounds ($83 million) — more than 40 times the pre-sale estimate and a record for a Chinese work of art.
For Peter Bainbridge, a small independent auctioneer who specializes in house clearance sales, Thursday's result was an extremely pleasant shock.
"How do you anticipate the Chinese market?" he said Friday. "It's totally on fire."
Bainbridge, whose 8.6 million pound buyer's premium is included in the sale price, said the outcome was "a fairy tale" for the family who owned the vase.
He said the sellers, who wish to remain anonymous, are the sister and nephew of a deceased elderly woman clearing out her "very modest home" in the London suburb of Pinner.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/ ... arket.html
