A rare fifteenth-century Chinese porcelain vase was sold in the yard of a home in the US state of Connecticut for $ 35, before it was sold to someone for $ 722,000 at an auction, held on Wednesday.
The small white vase, decorated with blue drawings of flowers and other shapes, is one of seven similar pieces known in the world.
The American auction company Sotheby's sold the vessel among a group of Chinese artworks, as part of the activities known as Asia Week.
Sotheby's estimated the artifact's value at between $ 300,000 and a half million.
Wednesday's auction attracted 15 bids to buy the vase, starting at $ 200,000 and ending at a $ 580,000 bid by a person who participated in the bidding by phone.
The official purchase price, including fees associated with the deal, was $ 721800.
A lover of antiques caught his eye a piece from the era of the Ming Dynasty that was ruling in China, and he thought it might be a distinctive piece, during his search in a yard selling used pieces in 2020.
The buyer subsequently contacted Sotheby's, provided it with information and pictures of the item, and requested its evaluation.
"Today's result of this rare (ornamented) flowerbed of the 15th century sums up the amazing stories of discovery, the once-in-a-lifetime, that we dream of as a professional in the field of Chinese art," Sotheby's said in a statement.
Sotheby's was able to examine the piece and confirm that it dates back to the fifteenth century, at the hands of experts and specialists.
The vase is believed to date back to the era of Yunfli Emperor, the third ruler of the Ming Dynasty, who was specially made for tiles at that time.
The arrival of the vase on the sale in Connecticut remains an unknown mystery, and it is likely that it was passed down through generations of the family until it reached its present location.
Source: Associated Press
