Jars bought for £25 sell for over £74,000
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A ceramics collector in London purchased two small porcelain jars at a charity shop for around £20, about $25, and later sold them at auction for £58,000, which is more than $74,000.
Roseberys London identified the jars as rare 18th-century Chinese porcelain from the Qing Dynasty. The jars feature colourful chrysanthemums and lotus flowers painted using the doucai technique, a traditional method combining blue underglaze with coloured enamels.
The collector noticed unique markings on the jars and researched them before consulting with experts who confirmed their historical importance. Though the jars had minor imperfections like hairline cracks, their craftsmanship, decoration, and connection to the Qianlong Emperor drew significant interest from buyers. Jingdezhen, a city in Jiangxi province, China, was a key centre for porcelain production during the Qing Dynasty, supplying ceramics for both everyday use and the imperial court.
The auction house noted that while similar patterns existed on Chinese porcelain bowls, they had not found an exact match for the jars’ design. A portion of the £58,000 sale price will go to the charity that operated the shop where the collector found the jars, providing a financial benefit beyond the collector’s profit. This discovery highlights how valuable objects can remain unidentified without specialist knowledge.
