Ming Dynasty 'chicken cup' sells for record $36 million
<p><span word="Download">Download</span></p><p><span word="An">An</span> 8.2-<span word="centimeter">centimeter</span>-<span word="tall">tall</span> <span word="porcelain">porcelain</span> <span word="cup">cup</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Ming">Ming</span> <span word="Dynasty">Dynasty</span> (1368-1644) <span word="fetched">fetched</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="staggering">staggering</span> <span word="HK">HK</span>$281.24 <span word="million">million</span> ($36 <span word="million">million</span>) <span word="at">at</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="auction">auction</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Hong">Hong</span> <span word="Kong">Kong</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Tuesday">Tuesday</span>, <span word="setting">setting</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="record">record</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="porcelain">porcelain</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="auction">auction</span>.</p><p><span word="Shanghai">Shanghai</span> <span word="billionaire">billionaire</span> <span word="Liu">Liu</span> <span word="Yiqian">Yiqian</span> <span word="won">won</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bidding">bidding</span> <span word="via">via</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="telephone">telephone</span> <span word="consignment">consignment</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="cup">cup</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="pristine">pristine</span> <span word="condition">condition</span>, <span word="was">was</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="using">using</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="doucai">doucai</span> <span word="method">method</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="fashioning">fashioning</span> <span word="porcelain">porcelain</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="began">began</span> <span word="during">during</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Ming">Ming</span> <span word="Dynasty">Dynasty</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="appreciation">appreciation</span>, <span word="not">not</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="display">display</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="commonly">commonly</span> <span word="known">known</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> "<span word="chicken">chicken</span> <span word="cup">cup</span>" <span word="because">because</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="decorated">decorated</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="paintings">paintings</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="chickens">chickens</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="cup">cup</span> <span word="celebrates">celebrates</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="pinnacle">pinnacle</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Chenghua">Chenghua</span> <span word="style">style</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="porcelain">porcelain</span>-<span word="making">making</span> <span word="from">from</span> 1465 <span word="to">to</span> 1487. <span word="Well">Well</span>-<span word="preserved">preserved</span> <span word="examples">examples</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="period">period</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="rare">rare</span>.</p><p>"<span word="There">There</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="nothing">nothing</span> <span word="rarer">rarer</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="porcelain">porcelain</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="Chenghua">Chenghua</span> <span word="chicken">chicken</span> <span word="cup">cup</span>. <span word="There">There</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="less">less</span> <span word="than">than</span> 20 <span word="genuine">genuine</span> <span word="ones">ones</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span>," <span word="said">said</span> <span word="Giuseppe">Giuseppe</span> <span word="Eskenazi">Eskenazi</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="London">London</span> <span word="dealer">dealer</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="antiques">antiques</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="once">once</span> <span word="owned">owned</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="cup">cup</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="unsuccessful">unsuccessful</span> <span word="bids">bids</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Tuesday">Tuesday</span>.</p><p><span word="Only">Only</span> <span word="four">four</span> <span word="Chenghua">Chenghua</span> <span word="chicken">chicken</span> <span word="cups">cups</span>, <span word="including">including</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="sold">sold</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Hong">Hong</span> <span word="Kong">Kong</span>, <span word="are">are</span> <span word="owned">owned</span> <span word="privately">privately</span>. <span word="Others">Others</span> <span word="belong">belong</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="public">public</span> <span word="museums">museums</span> <span word="including">including</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="British">British</span> <span word="Museum">Museum</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Taipei">Taipei</span>-<span word="based">based</span> <span word="National">National</span> <span word="Palace">Palace</span> <span word="Museum">Museum</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Metropolitan">Metropolitan</span> <span word="Museum">Museum</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Art">Art</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="New">New</span> <span word="York">York</span>.</p><p><span word="Eskenazi">Eskenazi</span> <span word="described">described</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="cup">cup</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="unique">unique</span> <span word="opportunity">opportunity</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="every">every</span> <span word="serious">serious</span> <span word="collector">collector</span>, <span word="museum">museum</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="institution">institution</span> <span word="wants">wants</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="own">own</span>.</p><p>"<span word="One">One</span> <span word="thing">thing</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Chenghua">Chenghua</span> <span word="porcelain">porcelain</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="alive">alive</span>. <span word="It">It</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="living">living</span> <span word="piece">piece</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="porcelain">porcelain</span>. <span word="When">When</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="touch">touch</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="feel">feel</span> <span word="it">it</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="waxiness">waxiness</span>, <span word="softness">softness</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="thinness">thinness</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="unique">unique</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="porcelain">porcelain</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="identify">identify</span> <span word="blind">blind</span>," <span word="he">he</span> <span word="says">says</span>.</p>
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