Think you’ve made a few costly DIY blunders in the past?
Well, spare a thought for the woman who drilled a hole in an old vase to make a lamp – only to find out it would have been worth £250,000.
The owner of the 250-year-old Chinese porcelain has now been told it will fetch only £20,000 at auction.
‘It is a tale of what might have been,’ said auctioneer Guy Schwinge. The Qing dynasty vase was thought to have been bought by its unnamed owner’s great-grandfather in the Far East in the early 1900s.
It had a sticker on the bottom saying ’14 dollars’ and was presumed to be worthless. It was passed down through the family until, 40 years ago, an ancestor drilled a small hole through it so it could be used as an electric lamp.
It was only when the porcelain was remarked upon by a family friend that its true value was discovered.
Experts told its woman owner, from south-west London, it would have been worth £250,000 without the hole and if it had been accompanied by its matching pair.
Comment From Admin – Don’t believe everything you read!
Do you own a piece of Chinese porcelain or an oriental work of art that you would like to know more about, such as age, history and value?
Then you should really consider using our Chinese Antique Valuation Service as the last thing you want to do is risk under selling the piece due to lack of knowledge or ill gotten advice.
Think you’ve made a few costly DIY blunders in the past?
It was only when the porcelain was remarked upon by a family friend that its true value was discovered.
