An extremely rare and ancient Chinese bowl has sold for a record price of almost $38 million (£28.
A n extremely rare and ancient Chinese bowl has sold for a record price of almost $38 million (£28.4m) at auction.
The nearly 900-year-old porcelain bowl from China’s Northern Song dynasty (960-1127) was sold to an anonymous phone bidder at a Sotheby’s sale in Hong Kong.
The tiny Ru-ware bowl, with a blue-green glaze and complex interlaced ‘ice crackle’ pattern, was once used to wash brushes.
S otheby’s Asia deputy chairman Nicolas Chow admitted they were surprised the item fetched such an astronomical price, but added there was huge interest in the “extraordinarily rare” Ru-ware item.
« We’ve had in last 20 years a huge sort of influx of mainland Chinese buyers,” he said following a 20-minute auction battle for the item.
