ORIGIN STORY: Rare Chinese Vase, Made for the Court of the Qianlong Emperor, Discovered in Kitchen

"Ahead of the auction Mark Newstead, Specialist Consultant at Dreweatts for Asian Ceramics and Works of Art, tells us more about this exceptionally rare Chinese vase created in the 18th century for the court of the Qianlong Emperor, which will be offered on Wednesday 18 May in our auction of Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art.

It was purchased by a surgeon in the 1980s for a few hundred pounds and passed from the original owner to his son, who also, not realising its true value positioned it in his kitchen.

It was only when a visiting antiques specialist spotted it, that its true value and history were revealed. Mark Newstead commented: “We are delighted to be able to offer this important vase to the market which, since I first saw it in the 1990’s has passed through two generations of the same family.”

The colossal vase is two feet tall and bears the distinctive six-character mark of the Qianlong period (1736-1795) on its base. 'With the 'Bat and Crane' design, Tianqiuping, seal mark and period of Qianlong the vase is estimated at £100,000-150,000 (+ fees).
" #Antique