21 CHINESE DOUCAI JAR, 1723–35 SOLD: £1,000,000

Bought from a London dealer in 1946 for £9, this exceptionally rare piece of Imperial porcelain caused a stir at Woolley & Wallis’s Asian sale in 2016 when it far exceeded its estimate of £100,000–£200,000. Standing at just four inches tall, it was made for Yongzheng, fifth Emperor of the Qing dynasty.