Chinese vasesPhoto:RussianLookThe relatives had no idea about the value of the item put up for sale until the end of the auction. The vase was created during the reign of Emperor Qianlong in China (1736-1795). The priceless piece was accidentally found while cleaning out a house in the suburbs of London. Initially, the auction house expected to sell the porcelain vase for 800 thousand or a maximum of 1.2 million pounds sterling. However, the final amount, together with a 20 percent commission fee, was 51.6 million pounds sterling ($83.2 million). Never before have vases been sold at auction for such a price. Until now, the price record for a piece of classical Chinese art belonged to a manuscript by the poet Huang Tingjian from the Song Dynasty. In June of this year, an unnamed buyer paid almost $66 million for the scroll. It should be noted that all the most . Never before have vases been sold at auction for such a price. Until now, the price record for a piece of classical Chinese art belonged to a manuscript by the poet Huang Tingjian from the Song Dynasty. In June of this year, an unnamed buyer paid almost $66 million for the scroll. As for imperial porcelain vases, the record was set once in October 2010. An 18th-century porcelain vessel was auctioned at Sotheby's in Hong Kong for $32.6 million. Interestingly, the world's most expensive painting of a Coca-Cola bottle by Andy Warhol was also sold at the same auction. The canvas was sold for $35 million.
