'Treasures of the Qing Dynasty' were once abandoned in the corner of the kitchen, selling for more than 41 billion dong

An extremely rare antique Chinese ceramic vase from the 18th century was bought by a British surgeon for a few hundred dollars in the 1980s. But in the recent auction, it was bought by a British surgeon for several hundred dollars. sold at a record high price of 1.8 million USD (more than 41 billion VND). This number is 10 times higher than expected.

It is a blue enamel vase, nearly 60cm high, plated with silver and gold, decorated with motifs of cranes, clouds, starlings, fans and bats. These are symbols of the Taoist faith, symbolizing a long and good life.

 A close-up of a "treasure of the Qing Dynasty" has just been sold for a record price of more than 41 billion dong.

According to Mark Newstead, Asian art and ceramics consultant at auction house Dreweatts, the combination of gold and silver motifs on antique ceramic vases is "technically very difficult to achieve". That has created the special and unusual of the antique.

Experts said that the antique was created to serve the Qing court under the Qianlong Emperor in the 1700s. Also according to experts, it is possible that the vase was placed on display in the hall at Tu Forbidden City or one of the other palaces of Emperor Qianlong.

During the reign of this Emperor, he quelled a number of rebellions. But by the 19th and early 20th centuries, the political situation of the Qing Dynasty became chaotic when China lost a number of wars. This was also the time when a number of palaces were looted, leading to the wandering of countless antiquities.

 The bottom of the vase has the seal of the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty

Because of its unusual appearance, the British surgeon bought it. But then the "treasure of the Qing Dynasty" was forgotten in the family's kitchen in the Midlands (England) for a long time. It was not until more than a decade later, in the 1990s, when expert Mark Newstead visited his family on a random occasion, it was discovered.

"The doctor bought it for decoration and there was no receipt. There was a crack on the neck, a testament to the creativity of the Qing Dynasty craftsmen. They used enameling techniques to serve it. according to the Emperor's taste," said expert Mark Newstead.

However, to this day, historians still do not know for sure its history.

"The ancient vase may have been a gift from the Qianlong Emperor to an official in the court. In the 20th century, the family may have sold it out due to the difficult economic situation. But there is also a possibility that it was robbed from the palace between 1860 and 1901. Perhaps we will never know the truth," said Justin Jacobs, professor of history at American University in Washington DC.