LAST WEEK, SOTHEBY'S HONG KONG SOLD A SMALL CYLINDER OF JADE FOR $12.4 MILLION SETTING A WORLD RECORD FOR ANY WHITE JADE ITEM OR IMPERIAL SEAL AT AUCTION. THE PIECE WAS FROM THE REIGN OF CHINA'S LONGEST SERVING EMPEROR, QIANLONG OF THE QING DYNASTY. THE LETTERING ON THE SIDE READS AS A POEM, CONCLUDING WITH THE PHRASE QIANLONG BINGCHUN YUBI, WHICH INDICATES THE YEAR 1796. THE SEAL'S FACE ITSELF HAS THE CHARACTERS TAI SHANG HUANG DI SHARPLY CARVED INTO IT, MEANING TREASURE OF THE EMPEROR EMERITUS. THE PRICE, BOUGHT BY AN ANONYMOUS ASIAN MAN IN HIS THIRTIES, DOUBLED THAT WHICH WAS PAID FOR THE PIECE IN 2007.
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