French family finds rare Chinese vase in attic, takes it to Sotheby’s in shoebox; sells for €16.18m

The vase sold at 23 times of the estimated price An 18th-century Chinese porcelain vase that had been kept in the attic of a French family home was sold for €16.18 million at a Sotheby’s auction in Paris. The family had no idea how valuable the vase was when they brought it to the auction house wrapped in newspaper and placed inside an old shoebox. Experts later identified it as a rare piece made for the court of China's Qianlong Emperor.The vase had remained in the family for generations. According to Sotheby’s, it was among several Asian objects inherited from a relative who died in 1947. Although the family had preserved it, they did not particularly like its appearance. The owners reportedly considered it "too pink" and had left it in a box in the attic.Its value came to light when a woman contacted Sotheby’s Paris in March 2018. She had recently lost her husband and was preparing to move to the countryside. While clearing the house, she came across several objects of Asian origin and decided to ask whether they were worth examining.What followed was an unexpected discovery for the family. The vase, initially estimated at €700,000, eventually fetched €16,182,800 after a 20-minu...