Auction house Sotheby’s confirmed that a 1,000-year-old bowl from China’s Song Dynasty has broken the record for Chinese ceramics.
The bowl, which dates from 960-1127 was initially designed to rinse brushes was astoundingly sold for £28.4 million ($37.7 million), in Hong Kong on Tuesday.
The sale, which hit the ‘world auction record for any Chinese ceramics’, the auction house announced after the bidding.
Smashing: The small 1,000-year-old ceramic vessel used by the Chinese Song dynasty
Record breaking: Nicholas Chow, Deputy Chairman for Sotheby’s Asia inspects the bowl
Magnificent: Visitors walk past a backlit photo of the Ru Guanyao brush washer bowl
Further inspection: The sale broke the ‘world auction record for any Chinese ceramics’
The small piece stole the previous record of £27.20 ($36.05) million set in 2014 for a Ming Dynasty wine cup which was snapped up by a Shanghai tycoon.
The ceramic piece dated from about 900-1,000 years ago is described by Sotheby’s as ‘highly important and extremely rare’.
The auction house said the person behind the winning proposition wishes to remain anonymous, it’s unknown whether the buyer is from China mainland or elsewhere.
Nicolas Chow, deputy chairman of Sotheby’s Asia, commented: ‘It’s a totally new benchmark for Chinese ceramics and we’ve made history with this piece today,’
Bidding got going at around £7.7 million ($10.2 million) with the suspense-filled auction lasting only 20 minutes as a handful of phone bidders and one person in the room itself contested with each other.
Imperial: A visitor walks past a backlit photo of a Ru Guanyao brush washer bowl
Doing the maths: A screen displays the winning bidding price for the 1,000-year-old bowl
Simplicity: Measuring 13 cm (5.1 inches) in diametre, the dish features a luminous blue glaze
The winning offer eventually came from one of the telephone bidders and was received by a round of applause.
According to Sotheby’s, the bowl is a classic example of extremely rare Chinese porcelain from the imperial court of the Northern Song Dynasty.
PREVIOUS RECORD HOLDER: THE ‘CHICKEN CUP’
Breaking records: ‘Chicken Cup’ from Chinese Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)
Today’s price tag surpasses the former record made by a tiny white piece known as the ‘Chicken Cup’.
The rare Ming Dynasty wine cup was created during reign of the Chenghua Emperor between 1465 and 1487.
Taxi-driver-turned-financier Liu Yiqian, one of China’s wealthiest people bought the cup
He famously drank tea from the delicate vessel after his purchase, creating something of a social media meltdown in China at the time.
Measuring 13 cm (5.1 inches) in diameter, the dish features a luminous blue glaze and is one of only four such pieces in private hands.
China’s various dynasties were well-known for their fine ceramics with the Song period frequently considered as producing some of the region’s most outstanding examples.
Song ceramics are predominantly known for their subtlety, simplicity and delicate glazing and have long been among the most sought after objects for collectors.
Display: Nicolas Chow, Sotheby’s Asia holds the brush Washer from China’s Song Dynasty
Getsure: Sotheby’s auctioneer Henry Howard-Sneyd during the auction in Hong Kong
Anticipation: A Sotheby’s phone auctioneer raises her hand to indicate taking the final bid
Smashed: A Sotheby’s auctioneer prepares to hit the hammer for the record breaking sale