$4 bowl sells for $75,000
An anonymous buyer who purchased an op shop bowl for $4 has sold it at auction for $75,640.
The vase, a 17th century Chinese ‘Liberation Cup’ from the Qing dynasty, is carved from rhinoceros horn and has been known to sell for as much as $200,000 on international markets.
The lucky buyer, who reportedly peruses op shops for hidden gems just like this one, thought he may have spotted a bargain when he saw the vase sitting on a Sydney op shop’s shelf.
A quick online search and an email to Sotheby's Auctioneers consultant Ann Roberts, who specialises in Asian Art, revealed the $4 'bowl' was worth substantially more than that.
With a large chip on its side, the bowl was initially valued at $20,000 - $30,000, but sold for much more. ($62,000 plus buyer's premium)
"He was very pleased”, Ms Roberts told Fairfax of the anonymous seller. "They don't look immediately attractive to the untrained eye."
The bowls are prized by collectors of Asian art, who will pay top dollar for objects carved from ivory or rhinoceros horn, which hold special value in Asian culture.
Among other items sold at the auction were two white jade pendants, sold for $19,520, and an ‘unusual’ dragon dish for $31,720.
In March, a Chinese ‘ding’ bowl, purchased in New York for $3, sold at Sotheby’s for $USD2.225 million.
