It’s a classic comedy scene: a clumsy person in an antique shop, inevitably knocking over a priceless Ming vase. For centuries, Western collectors have coveted rare Chinese antiquities, with Ming vases being among the most famous. As China’s economy has surged, so have the values of Chinese artworks.
This boom has led to incredible stories of people on the verge of discarding old pots or donating cracked plates, only to discover they possess something of immense value. Here are ten tales of Chinese antiques unexpectedly turning into fortunes.
£1 Million Collection in the Attic
Clearing out an attic can be a homeowner’s most dreaded task. It’s dusty, spider-infested, and requires tough decisions about what to keep and what to trash. However, sometimes you strike gold where you least expect it.
Edward Radcliffe, an antique dealer before WWII, amassed a significant collection of Chinese antiques. Some pieces were so exquisite they were loaned to museums worldwide. Yet, after his death, the collection was relegated to the attic, forgotten for over 50 years until his family decided to have it appraised.
The collection’s star was an enamel box crafted for the Xuande Emperor of the Ming Dynasty in the 15th century. Only four such boxes are known to exist globally. Valued initially at £10,000, the box stunned everyone when it sold for £288,000 at auction. The entire collection fetched nearly £1 million.
“Teapot” Treasure
The British love tea, so finding teapots in their homes is common. In 2020, a man sorting through his parents’ attic found a plastic bag containing a tiny metal and enamel teapot brought from China in the 1940s. Initially considering donating it, he instead took it to an auctioneer who valued it at £100-150.
It turned out to be an imperial wine ewer made for the Qianlong Emperor in the 18th century, one of only three in the world. Bidding from around the globe was intense, and the minuscule masterpiece sold for £380,000.
The owner, a construction worker, was ecstatic. When asked about his plans for the money, he mentioned buying a metal detector. With his luck, who knows what other treasures he might unearth?
Imperial Vase Discovery
Familiarity often leads to overlooking the extraordinary. An auctioneer visiting a friend noticed an interesting old vase in their kitchen. Purchased for a few hundred pounds, the vase seemed like a pretty piece of porcelain—but nothing particularly special to its owners.
Years later, the vase, made for the Imperial Court of the Qianlong Emperor, was put up for sale, stirring excitement among collectors. The rich blue vase, adorned with gold and silver cranes and bats against a cloudy sky, was valued at around £100,000.
Bidding was fierce, and the vase sold for £1.2 million. Not bad for a piece casually sitting in the kitchen.
Loose Change Bowl Riches
Pottery is durable but fragile. Even a small chip can reduce an antique’s value. One family inherited a bowl from a renowned Chinese antique collector but didn’t treat it with the same care. They used it as a place for guests to drop keys and coins.
Out of curiosity, they took the 9-inch (22.9-cm) turquoise glazed dish to an auctioneer’s open day. It was quickly identified as a narcissus bowl produced for the early Ming Imperial Court, causing visible excitement among the valuers. The owners happily put it up for auction.
The bowl sold for £240,000. Hopefully, the new owner will keep metal objects far away from it.
Cracked Umbrella Stand Surprise
Sometimes, gifts end up unused, kept only for sentimental reasons. One English couple received a blue and white vase as a gift and thought little of it for 50 years. Relegated to a spare room, it became an umbrella stand, an unsuitable use for such an item.
The vase, made for the Qianlong Emperor’s court, had survived mostly intact for centuries. However, its time as an umbrella stand left cracks and scars inside. Despite the damage, it was still valued at around £500,000.
Buyers overlooked the vase’s rough life, and it eventually sold for £765,000.
Umbrella Stand Fortune
It seems people have a penchant for using priceless Chinese vases as umbrella stands. When a Christie’s expert learned about a large, blue and white dragon vase that had served this purpose, he requested an in-person inspection. He immediately recognized it as a perfect example of 15th-century Ming Imperial pottery.
The vase’s umbrella stand days hadn’t affected its flawless glaze. The dragon motif remained as vibrant as when imperial artisans painted it. Auctioned in Hong Kong, excited bidding drove the price to $20,447,642.
Yard Sale Bowl Bonanza
Everyone loves a bargain, especially at yard sales where one can find incredible deals. People sell unwanted items, often just wanting them gone. For $35, you might find a pretty bowl or one that could bring you a fortune at auction.
A buyer at a yard sale admired a small blue and white bowl so much they didn’t haggle over the $35 price. They suspected it was special and contacted an auction house. The bowl turned out to be Ming porcelain from the early 15th century, a lotus bowl with only six others in museums worldwide.
The bowl sold for $721,800, approximately 29,000 times its purchase price.
Qianlong Vase Discovery
Thrift shops are excellent places to browse for unusual items, offering cheap prices and supporting good causes. Sometimes, you find something truly special.
One shopper noticed a somewhat gaudy vase with yellow glaze and Chinese characters. Priced at just £1, they bought it. Suspecting it was worth more, they listed it on eBay. As the price soared, they removed it and took it to an auctioneer.
Made at the court of the Qianlong Emperor, the vase had a mark indicating it was not to leave the country. How it ended up in an English charity shop remains a mystery. At auction, it sold for £480,000.
Brush Pot Donation Prize
Thrift stores don’t always miss valuable antiques. Volunteers are trained to spot potentially significant pieces and seek expert opinions. A worker at St. Peter’s Hospice charity shop in Bristol, England, picked up a cracked old wooden pot and suspected it was special.
The pot was a calligraphy brush pot made from bamboo around 1700. Its cracked appearance was understandable considering its age. The pot featured a beautifully carved landscape and was created by Gu Jue, a renowned bamboo craftsman of the time.
The charity didn’t let this precious object slip through its fingers. It went to auction and sold for £360,000, far exceeding the initial estimate of £15,000.
Shoebox Vase Revelation
If this list accomplishes anything, it should inspire you to clean your attic. The ultimate tale of attic treasure involves a remarkable Chinese vase discovered in France.
Sotheby’s auctioneers almost missed this discovery. The owner emailed them about Asian objects found in her attic while preparing to move, but couldn’t send photos. However, her description piqued their interest, and they invited her to bring the items in. She arrived on the metro with the vase in a shoebox, having stored it in the attic because it was “too pink.”
Even as a copy, the vase’s lovely animal motifs would have been worth €100,000. Experts recognized it as genuine, a vase made for the Qianlong Emperor’s birthday. Estimated at €700,000, it surpassed expectations and sold for €16,182,800.
Have you ever stumbled upon a hidden treasure? Share your stories in the comments below!
