TRUE COLOURS
Estimate: £1,200–£1,800
From its modest starting price, this large Chinese wucai "sh vase caused a surge of excitement in the salesroom of Fellows as bidders competed "ercely. With ‘wucai’ meaning ‘"ve colours’, this technique involves painting rich colours onto a plain porcelain base and "ring at high temperatures. Historically, wucai vases have performed well at auction, however this piece was deemed to be a 19th or 20th-century copy of 16th-century Jiajing porcelain. After inspection of the collar decoration, the valuer also decided the vase lacked sophistication and an estimate of £1,200–£1,800 was set. Bidding for the vase started at £1,000 and, with keen interest in the salesroom, on the telephone and online, it immediately became clear that the price was going to exceed the upper estimate of £1,800, although no one could have predicted the outcome. A number of buyers in the salesroom kept up the bidding, including one buyer who had !own in from Japan to view the vase, prompting speculation it may not be a copy. At the £500,000 mark there were still two remaining bidders in the salesroom, however, even the keenest of them threw in the towel at £800,000. A telephone bidder was rewarded for their persistence, carrying away the vase for a sensational £810,000, 675 times its lower estimate. For more Eastern inspiration, turn to our feature on chinoiserie on page 42. Hammer: £810,000 * 0121 212 2131; fellows.co.uk