Hauled to auction in a cardboard box... the 600-year-old Ming 'moonflask' worth £1MILLION
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 3:13 AM on 3rd February 2011
Last updated at 3:13 AM on 3rd February 2011
A Chinese vase that was taken to an auction house by a 79-year-old pensioner in a cardboard box has stunned experts when they realised it was from the early Ming period - and worth £1million.
The 11.5in-high 'moonflask' dates from between 1403 and 1424 and is a very rare discovery. 'Moonflasks' are so called because their curved shape was likened to that of the moon.
Its owner, who prefers to remain anonymous, carried the vase to Duke's auction house in Dorchester, Dorset, in a cardboard box.
The vase, said to be influenced by Islamic design, was made during the reign of the Emperor Yongle - the third emperor of the Ming period
YONGLE, THE TOLERANT LEADER WHO BUILT THE FORBIDDEN CITY
The Yongle emperor was the third emperor of the Ming dynasty and ruled from 1402 to 1424, when he died aged 64.
It was he who moved the country's capital to Beijing and there he constructed the Forbidden City.
During his reign, the Grand Canal was almost completely rebuilt and was used to move imported goods from all over the world.
Yongle's tolerance of Chinese ideas that did not agree with his own philosophies was well-known, but he despised the Mongols.
Yongle called for the construction and repair of Islamic mosques during his reign and two mosques were built by him, one in Nanjing and the other in Xi'an, and they still stand today.
Repairs were encouraged and the mosques were not allowed to be converted to any other use.
During his reign the monumental Yongle Encyclopedia was completed. Artists and craftsmen flourished in his reign. 'Moonflasks' are so called because their curved shape was likened to that of the moon.
It is not known what he paid for the vase but prices for artefacts from the Far East have soared in recent years.
This latest example was made during the reign of the Emperor Yongle - the third emperor of the Ming period.
The name Yongle means 'perpetual happiness' and demonstrates the exceptional level of refinement achieved during the emperor's reign. Europe was unable to turn out porcelain of such quality until the 18th century.
The elegant blue and white piece with simple loop handles is thought to have been influenced by Islamic design. It has a flattened globular body with a bold-shaped mouth and simple loop handles, which derive from a near Eastern form.
The body is decorated in underglaze blue with Islamic inspired decoration of latticing and shaped panels centred by a six-pointed star containing leafy arabesques and scrolls.
Around the neck is a band of clouds and the circular foot has lappets and dots.
Because of its Islamic influence, potential buyers are likely to come from the Gulf states as well as China.
Last year, a Chinese vase found during a house clearance sold for an astonishing £43million.
Guy Schwinge, from Duke's, said: 'When my colleague initially showed me what had arrived in a cardboard box I could not believe my eyes.
'The vase is in perfect condition and it is amazing to think that it has survived unscathed for almost 600 years.
'It is the largest recorded example from a rarefied group of early Ming moonflasks dating from the Yongle period.
Giuseppe Eskenazi, one of the world's leading dealers in Chinese art who is based in Mayfair, London, said of the vase: 'It is very fine and should do very well. It is very rare and in 50 years I have only seen three flasks like this.
Last year, Duke's sold a Chinese vase from the Qianlong period that had been used as an umbrella stand for £765,000.
The sale is on May 12.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1352857/600-year-old-Ming-moonflask-Chinese-vase-worth-1MILLION.html#ixzz1CtBtHaLL
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