Woman trades 2 houses for ancient inkwell dish worth millions in baht

A young woman surprised Chinese television viewers when she brought an unremarkable ‘brick’ or ‘inkwell dish‘ for appraisal, which turned out to be a valuable artifact. The show’s experts stunned the audience with their evaluation of the item, which was worth far more than anyone expected.

Over the past few years in China, there has been a surge of interest in discovering and purchasing antiques, as these items can potentially hold significant value. These rare finds can sometimes transform an ordinary person’s life overnight. However, not everyone has the historical and cultural knowledge necessary to determine the worth of various antiques. Consequently, the appraisal show on China Central Television (CCTV) has received enormous attention from viewers over the years, as it offers intriguing stories and unexpected outcomes.

In a recent episode, the young woman participant brought an ordinary-looking ‘brick’ for appraisal, which drew laughter from the audience, due to its apparent contrast with the other valuable items usually presented on the show, such as gems, ceramics, calligraphy or paintings. Nonetheless, the woman stood by her artifact, claiming it held considerable value and that she had traded two houses for it.

In reality, the ‘brick’ was an inkstone or ‘inkwell dish,’ a favourite tool of ancient Chinese calligraphers. The woman, who was born into a calligraphy-loving family, recalled how her grandfather’s antique collector friend had owned this dish. She immediately took an interest in the item but was unable to buy it at the time. Eventually, the friend’s grandson approached the woman’s grandfather to sell the inkwell dish as they needed funds for a wedding. The woman traded her two houses for it but did not know the dish’s specific lineage or true worth, so she sought expert advice.

After a thorough examination, the experts concluded that the inkwell dish was hand-made during the Song dynasty, over 800 years ago, from a rare and heavy stone material. The simple yet elegant minimalist design was favoured by Song dynasty calligraphers. The inkwell had been well-preserved and remained in good condition, so its cultural, historical, and market values were high.

Upon hearing this, the woman and the audience members were astounded. An expert’s final appraisal set the dish’s value to at least over 4.8 million baht (US$140,000) or higher, depending on the interest of collectors and conservationists in this field. This revelation left the viewers astonished that what they had deemed as a mere ‘brick’ could be worth such a vast amount. The young woman left the show delighted and satisfied with the true value of her prized possession.

In the same way, a man in Los Angeles turned a 1,700-baht (US$49) online auction chair into 3 million-baht (US$86,500) jackpot after design discovery. Read full story HERE.