1200 baht flea market porcelain bowl fetches 25 million baht at Sotheby’s auction

A man’s US$35 (1240 baht) flea market find turned out to be a treasure worth a staggering 20,600 times more. A small porcelain bowl signifying Chinese art purchased for a modest price in New Haven, Connecticut in 2020 was recently auctioned off by Sotheby’s, fetching an exponentially higher value.

As per Sotheby’s, the man, whose identity remains undisclosed, acquired the small, blue and white floral ceramic bowl from a second-hand market. Without negotiating the US$35 price tag, he immediately sent a picture of the porcelain bowl to auction experts after purchase.

The delicate, white porcelain bowl, adorned with intricate patterns of lotus, peony, chrysanthemum and pomegranate blossoms, measures a mere 15 centimetres in diameter. Detailed examination revealed that this creation, referred to as a lotus bowl due to its resemblance to a blooming lotus bud, traces its origins back to the imperial court of the Yongle Emperor who ruled from 1403 to 1424 — a period known for its exceptional technical prowess in porcelain.

According to Angela McAteer, head of Sotheby’s Chinese Works of Art Department, the bowl boasts an unbelievably smooth cobalt blue design, coated with a real silk-like glaze that has never been replicated, neither in subsequent Ming reigns nor in later dynasties. She mentioned that, apart from its striking blue colour, the bowl possesses all the marks expected from the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty.

A representative from Sotheby’s stated that the porcelain bowl would go up for auction as part of the “Asia Week” sale, estimated to be worth between US$300,000 and US$500,000 (10.6 to 17.7 million baht). This is approximately 14,000 times more than its original purchase price.

Only six other bowls of this kind are known to exist, with most displayed in institutions like the National Palace Museum in Taipei, the British Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

However, the eventual selling price of this rare 15th-century Chinese artefact reached a whopping US$721,800 – about 25.6 million baht – surpassing its highest estimated value, reported Sanook.

Following the sale of the porcelain bowl, McAteer commented on the beauty and significance of this precious artefact uncovered in a mundane place.

“Today’s result for this exceptionally rare floral bowl, dating back to the 15th century, epitomizes the incredible, once-in-a-lifetime discovery stories that we dream about as specialists in Chinese Art. It is a reminder that precious works of art remain hidden in plain sight just waiting to be found.”

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