Chinese bowl bought for three dollars sold for 2 million

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A rare Chinese bowl bought for a mere three dollars at a garage sale was sold for a whopping USD 2.225 million at an auction here.

The 1,000-year-old "ding" bowl from an era when the 'Song Dynasty' ruled China, was bought by a New York family for three dollars in 2007 and displayed it on a mantelpiece with no idea as to its real worth, Sotheby's said.

After consulting with experts, the owners decided to auction the bowl. The bowl was part of the opening session of fine Chinese ceramics and and works of art auction that took place yesterday.

Sotheby's said it was sold to a London dealer, Giuseppe Eskenazi for USD 2.225 million, far above the presale estimate of USD 200,000 to USD 300,000.

The bowl is 12.5 centimetres, white in colour and is from the Northern Song Dynasty.

The bowl sparked a sales battle before being snapped up by Eskenazi in yesterday's auction.

Eskenazi, recognised as one of the most important dealers in Oriental art in the world, entered into a "prolonged" fight with three other collectors, Sotheby's said.

Sotheby's said the bowl is a "remarkable and exceptionally beautiful example of Song pottery, celebrated for its thin potting, fine near-white body and ivory coloured glaze".

The only known bowl of the same form, size and almost identical decoration has been in the collection of the British Museum in London for more than 60 years, after being left to the museum by the prominent British collector Henry J Oppenheim in 1947.

Sotheby's said Song ceramics are increasingly being sought after by Chinese art collectors.