Chinese vase sells for £62,000 at Shropshire auction
A unique Chinese vase sold for a staggering £62,000 at auction in Shropshire - despite being valued at just £8,000 by specialists.
The robin's egg glazed vase was the highest selling item at Halls Fine Art auction in Shrewsbury on Wednesday.
It is believed to be about 300 years old and generated a lot of interest with collectors around the country.
Alexander Clement, Halls’ Asian art specialist, said it was valued conservatively and had a lot of pre-sale interest.
He said: "The age of it is a little bit uncertain, but what it does have is an impressed mark of the Chinese emperor Yongzheng which would suggest it is from the 1730s. But I was not certain. I thought it was probably a bit later - possibly 18th century.
"It did also have a little gummed paper label on it so I did a bit of digging and made out that it was from a Chinese specialist in Henley-on-Thames. So, it's possible at some point at its life it went through that particular retailer but this was a long time before the owner came by it."
The seller, who is from America, has sold through Halls many times but this was his most successful item.
Mr Clement added: "It was his grandfather's vase but he doesn't have very many details about it. He's sold with us before and usually does quite well. His grandfather had a good eye and collected some really good things. We're delighted with the result."
