Chinese vase in shoebox fetches $19m at auction

An 18th century Chinese vase found in a shoebox in an attic in France sold for ₤16.2 million ($19m, Dh70m) at auction in Paris yesterday.

The price was more than 20 times the estimate of ₤500,000 to ₤700,000 Sotheby’s had put on the item. It was the highest price reached for a single item sold by Sotheby’s in France.

The vase spent some of its life stashed in an attic with other items that formed part of an inheritance. A French family retrieved the vase and brought it to the auctioneer. (Reuters)