An antique collector from the United Kingdom has discovered that the ancient plate, which had accumulated dust on a shelf, is a work worth 210,000 pounds—one million Brazilian reals at current exchange rates—and may have been made in the 14th century.
The Briton was delighted after he took the piece to the auction house and discovered the true value. Experts suspect that the piece, which measures 12 inches in diameter, dates back to China’s imperial Ming Dynasty, according to The Sun.
After inheriting the remains, the owner put the dish back on the shelf and forgot about it for decades. He had no idea the piece was worth the six-figure amount, though he suspected it would be Chinese.
Before selling, the plate was initially estimated at 3,000 pounds, or about 19,000 riyals. But the process of making the dish, known as Diaoqi, was a very time-consuming and complex task, adding to the initial value.
Experts have found that this kind of art reached its peak during the Yuan Dynasty, and later, it was introduced as a diplomatic gift in the early Ming Dynasty, indicating that the dish is even older.
Adrian Rathbone, associate director of Kinghams Auctioneers, said the supplier brought in the dish “on a whim”.
“They inherited it about 20 or 30 years ago and it was sitting on the shelf, just gathering dust,” he said.
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