LIKE MOST OF THE HOUSEHOLD CLUTTER AMASSED OVER THE YEARS, IT SAT IN A SPARE ROOM FORGOTTEN COLLECTING DUST. SLIGHTLY CRACKED AND STAINED WITH AGE, THE CHINESE VASE WAS USED TO STORE A FEW OLD UMBRELLAS. BUT 50 YEARS AFTER THEY WERE GIVEN IT AS A PRESENT, IT OWNERS DISCOVERED THAT THE VASE WAS WORTH AN ESTIMATED £500,000, MORE THAN THE VALUE OF THEIR HOME. AUCTIONEER MATHEW DENNEY SAW PAST A CRACK IT HAD IN THE PORCELAIN AND THE FACT IT HAD BEEN SPLASHED WITH EMULSION PAINT. FURTHER RESEARCH SHOWED THE BLUE AND WHITE PIECE FOUND IN THE PURBECK AREA OF DORSET WAS AN IMPERIAL VASE AND ALMOST CERTAINLY MADE FOR THE EMPEROR QIANLONG IN ABOUT 1740. ALTHOUGH IT IS THOUGHT TO BE WORTH AS MUCH AS £500,000, ITS VALUE COULD HAVE BEEN DOUBLE THAT PRICE HAD IT NOT BEEN DAMAGED. GUY SCHWINGE, FROM DUKES AUCTION HOUSE IN DORCHESTER, SAID THE COUPLE HAD BEEN GIVEN THE VASE AS A PRESENT AND WHEN IT IS SOLD IT COULD CHANGE THEIR LIVES. 'THE VENDORS HAD OWNED IT FOR 50 YEARS BUT HAD NO IDEA WHAT IT WAS. THEY HAD RELEGATED IT TO A SPARE BEDROOM WITH OTHER ITEMS OF FURNITURE. MY COLLEAGUE MATTHEW DENNY SPOTTED IT DURING A ROUTINE VALUATION. THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT IT HAD BEEN USED AS AN UMBRELLA STAND AND THERE IS ALSO A POSSIBILITY THAT IT ONCE BELONGED TO THE FAMILY OF FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE. THE VASE EXEMPLIFIES THE BEST OF THE PERIOD.' THE ARTWORK ON THE VASE SHOWS A LANDSCAPE OF MOUNTAINS WITH TREES AND A HOUSE AND IS THOUGHT TO BE UNIQUE. THE BASE OF THE VASE BEARS AN IMPERIAL REIGN MARK AND, UNUSUALLY, THE UPPER BODY HAS AN IMPRESSED MARK IN CHINESE SCRIPT WHICH HAS BEEN TRANSLATED AS 'PRECIOUS THING'. IT IS NOT KNOWN WHEN THE VASE CAME TO BRITAIN, BUT IT HAS BEEN CONNECTED WITH EMBLEY COURT IN HAMPSHIRE, WHERE FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE'S FAMILY LIVED. THE STUNNING AND UNIQUE VASE IS SCHEDULED TO BE AUCTIONED 11.FEBRUARY AT DUKE'S AUCTION HOUSE.
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