A STUNNING COLOURFUL VASE MISTAKENLY VALUED AT JUST £375, BROKE AN AUCTION HOUSE RECORD WHEN IT SOLD FOR A STAGGERING £228,000. THE OWNER SAID THE TINY VASE HAD BEEN IN HER FAMILY FOR GENERATIONS, AND NOBODY THOUGHT IT WAS OF ANY VALUE. BUT THE ANONYMOUS WOMAN FROM CHESTER IS NOW LOOKING FORWARD TO A VERY SPECIAL CHRISTMAS AFTER IT EMERGED THAT IT WAS A RARE 18th CENTURY CHINESE IMPERIAL GILT BRONZE AND CLOISONNE VASE, CRAFTED IN THE FORBIDDEN CITY IN THE STYLE OF MING, BUT MORE THAN A CENTURY AFTER THE DYNASTY ENDED. THE SELLER APPROACHED AUCTION HOUSE BYRNE'S, IN SALTNEY, FLINTSHIRE, NORTH WALES, AFTER A ANTIQUES DEALER EXPRESSED A KEEN INTEREST IN THE STUNNING PIECE. AUCTIONEER ADRIAN BYRNE SAID: 'HE SEEMED SO KEEN THAT SHE WONDERED IF SHE WAS DOING THE RIGHT THING, AND DECIDED THAT EVEN THOUGH THE MONEY WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY USEFUL TO HER AT THE TIME, SHE WOULD NOT SELL IT THERE AND THEN. FORTUNATELY, SHE DECIDED TO SEEK A SECOND OPINION AND BROUGHT IT TO US. THE VASE BROKE THE AUCTION HOUSE'S RECORD FOR A SALE, WHEN THE HAMMER FELL AT £228,000. 'ON SALE DAY THERE WERE INTERNET BIDDERS FROM CHINA, TAIWAN AND HONG KONG AND 14 PHONE BIDDERS', SAID BYRNE. ;THEY WERE FROM NEW ZEALAND, BELGIUM, PARIS AND LONDON. WE HAD TO DRAFT PEOPLE TO HANDLE THE CALLS. WHEN I SPOKE TO HER A COUPLE OF DAYS AFTER THE SALE SHE SAID IT HADN'T REALLY SUNK IN YET BUT SHE IS DETERMINED TO KEEP HER FEET ON THE GROUND, ALTHOUGH SHE WILL CERTAINLY BE HAVING A LARGER CHRISTMAS TREE THIS YEAR.' THE VASE WAS PURCHASE BY A LONDON DEALER BIDDING ON THE TELEPHONE WHO ACQUIRED IT FOR A COLLECTOR CLIENT.
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