This rare 15th-century Meiyintang "chicken cup," still holds the world auction record for Chinese porcelain. It <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedition.cnn.com%2F2014%2F04%2F09%2Fworld%2Fasia%2Fsothebys-record-sale-chinese-porcelain%2F">sold for more than $36 million (HK$281,240,000) at a Sotheby's Hong Kong auction</a> in 2014.
The Meiyintang "Chicken Cup", Chenghua period, Ming dynasty —
This rare 15th-century Meiyintang "chicken cup," still holds the world auction record for Chinese porcelain. It sold for more than $36 million (HK$281,240,000) at a Sotheby's Hong Kong auction in 2014.
Aaron Tam/AFP/Getty images
"For anyone who is not in the field of Chinese ceramics it's a little bit of a downer when you see it," says Nicolas Chow, chairman of Chinese works of art at Sotheby's Asia. <br /><br />The cup gets its name from the delicate chickens painted in bright enamels on the cup's side. "But this is about the most sought after piece in the history of Chinese porcelain."
The Meiyintang "Chicken Cup", Chenghua period, Ming dynasty —
"For anyone who is not in the field of Chinese ceramics it's a little bit of a downer when you see it," says Nicolas Chow, chairman of Chinese works of art at Sotheby's Asia.

The cup gets its name from the delicate chickens painted in bright enamels on the cup's side. "But this is about the most sought after piece in the history of Chinese porcelain."
AARON TAM/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
"The theme of the chicken, this is a cock and hen looking after their little chicks, and so that's a kind of Confucian parable of the emperor looking after his subjects," Chow explains. "But they are very small, very tactile and the glaze on these little cups is incredibly silky...very few survived from the period." <br />
The Meiyintang "Chicken Cup", Chenghua period, Ming dynasty —
"The theme of the chicken, this is a cock and hen looking after their little chicks, and so that's a kind of Confucian parable of the emperor looking after his subjects," Chow explains. "But they are very small, very tactile and the glaze on these little cups is incredibly silky...very few survived from the period."
DALE de la REY/AFP/Getty Images
This vase spent several decades unprotected in the home of the former US ambassador to Israel and former publisher of the International Herald Tribune, Ogden Reid, who inherited the vase from his mother, according to Chow. Reid sold the vase at a Sotheby's Hong Kong auction in 2002 for $5.34 million (HK$41,500,000), an auction record for Qing Porcelain at that time.
Famille-rose enameled Peach vase, Yongzheng period, Qing dynasty —
This vase spent several decades unprotected in the home of the former US ambassador to Israel and former publisher of the International Herald Tribune, Ogden Reid, who inherited the vase from his mother, according to Chow. Reid sold the vase at a Sotheby's Hong Kong auction in 2002 for $5.34 million (HK$41,500,000), an auction record for Qing Porcelain at that time.
Image: Courtesy Sotheby's New York
This Ming dynasty jar was purchased by an anonymous buyer from a British antique shop in the 1980s for just $145. He later sold it at a Sotheby's London auction in 2001 for more than $900,000 (GBP 751,500).
Doucai jar with Tian mark, Chenghua period, Ming dynasty —
This Ming dynasty jar was purchased by an anonymous buyer from a British antique shop in the 1980s for just $145. He later sold it at a Sotheby's London auction in 2001 for more than $900,000 (GBP 751,500).
Image: Courtesy Sotheby's London
This <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedition.cnn.com%2F2013%2F03%2F20%2Fbusiness%2Fsothebys-china-bowl%2F">rare Chinese "Ding" bowl was bought for about $3 from a New York state yard sale</a> in the US in 2007 and subsequently sold for $2.2 million at a Sotheby's auction in New York in 2013. "At the time, the purchaser had no idea that they had happened upon a 1,000-year-old treasure," Cecilia Leung of Sotheby's told CNN of the find.
'Ding' bowl, Northern Song dynasty —
This rare Chinese "Ding" bowl was bought for about $3 from a New York state yard sale in the US in 2007 and subsequently sold for $2.2 million at a Sotheby's auction in New York in 2013. "At the time, the purchaser had no idea that they had happened upon a 1,000-year-old treasure," Cecilia Leung of Sotheby's told CNN of the find.
Sotheby's New York
This piece was used as a doorstop in a family's Long Island, New York, home in the US for decades and only came to light when the owners saw a similar piece in a Sotheby's advertisement. It subsequently sold for US$1,314,500 at a Sotheby's New York auction in 2012.
Blue and white moonflask, Yongle period, Ming Dynasty —
This piece was used as a doorstop in a family's Long Island, New York, home in the US for decades and only came to light when the owners saw a similar piece in a Sotheby's advertisement. It subsequently sold for US$1,314,500 at a Sotheby's New York auction in 2012.
Image: Courtesy Sotheby's New York
"One of my absolute favorite pieces is the Southern Song dynasty (12th-14th century) Guanyao vase. It belonged to the late Japanese dealer and collector Goro Sakamoto and it is something that none of us knew he owned until he asked me to go and sit in his tea ceremony room on my own," Chow says. "It was an aesthetic revelation." The vase sold at a Sotheby's 2008 auction for more than $8.6 million (HK$67,527,500).
'Guan' Mallet vase, Southern Song Dynasty —
"One of my absolute favorite pieces is the Southern Song dynasty (12th-14th century) Guanyao vase. It belonged to the late Japanese dealer and collector Goro Sakamoto and it is something that none of us knew he owned until he asked me to go and sit in his tea ceremony room on my own," Chow says. "It was an aesthetic revelation." The vase sold at a Sotheby's 2008 auction for more than $8.6 million (HK$67,527,500).
Sotheby's
Pola Antebi, head of Chinese ceramics and works of art at Christie's Hong Kong, holds up a pair of famille-rose "peach" bowls. The small bowls, dated between 1723-1735, sold for more than $6.5 million (HK$50,720,000) at a Christie's 2007 auction.
Yongzheng famille rose 'peach' bowls, Qing dynasty —
Pola Antebi, head of Chinese ceramics and works of art at Christie's Hong Kong, holds up a pair of famille-rose "peach" bowls. The small bowls, dated between 1723-1735, sold for more than $6.5 million (HK$50,720,000) at a Christie's 2007 auction.
MIKE CLARKE/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
This rare polychrome-enameled moonflask sold for more than $1.2 million (GBP1,049,250) at a 2012 Sotheby's auction in London.
"Magpie and Prunus" Moonflask, Qianlong period, Qing dynasty —
This rare polychrome-enameled moonflask sold for more than $1.2 million (GBP1,049,250) at a 2012 Sotheby's auction in London.
BEN STANSALL/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
An employee poses with a Yuan dynasty blue and white "Dragon and Phoenix" jar expected to realize 400,000-600,000 GBP ($637,600-$956,400USD) at auction as part of the forthcoming Sotheby's Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art auction in London on November 2, 2012.
Blue and white 'Dragon and Phoenix' jar, Yuan dynasty —
An employee poses with a Yuan dynasty blue and white "Dragon and Phoenix" jar expected to realize 400,000-600,000 GBP ($637,600-$956,400USD) at auction as part of the forthcoming Sotheby's Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art auction in London on November 2, 2012.
Image: Courtesy BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images
An employee poses with a Yuan dynasty blue and white "Dragon and Phoenix" jar expected to realize 400,000-600,000 GBP ($637,600-$956,400USD) at auction as part of the forthcoming Sotheby's Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art auction in London on November 2, 2012.
Blue and white 'Dragon and Phoenix' jar, Yuan dynasty —
An employee poses with a Yuan dynasty blue and white "Dragon and Phoenix" jar expected to realize 400,000-600,000 GBP ($637,600-$956,400USD) at auction as part of the forthcoming Sotheby's Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art auction in London on November 2, 2012.
AFP/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
This rare Chinese porcelain Ru <em>guanyao</em> brush washer dish from the Northern Song Dynasty (960 to 1127) sold for $26.7 million (HK$207,860,000) at a Sotheby's 2012 auction in Hong Kong, a record price for Song ceramics.
Ru Guanyao Brush Washer, Northern Song dynasty —
This rare Chinese porcelain Ru guanyao brush washer dish from the Northern Song Dynasty (960 to 1127) sold for $26.7 million (HK$207,860,000) at a Sotheby's 2012 auction in Hong Kong, a record price for Song ceramics.
AARON TAM/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Chinese ceramics collector Alice Cheng holds an 18th century Chinese famille-rose "swallows bowl" she purchased at a Christie's auction in Hong Kong in 2006. The tiny bowl sold for $19.4 million (HK$151.3 million), breaking the record at that time for a piece of Chinese ceramic art at auction.
Famille rose "swallows bowl", Qianlong period, Qing dynasty —
Chinese ceramics collector Alice Cheng holds an 18th century Chinese famille-rose "swallows bowl" she purchased at a Christie's auction in Hong Kong in 2006. The tiny bowl sold for $19.4 million (HK$151.3 million), breaking the record at that time for a piece of Chinese ceramic art at auction.
MIKE CLARKE/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
This blue-and-white Ming dynasty "Bird" Charger dish was expected to fetch between $6.4 million to $10.3 million in a Sotheby's 2012 Hong Kong auction but failed to find a buyer.
Blue and white 'Bird' charger, Ming dynasty —
This blue-and-white Ming dynasty "Bird" Charger dish was expected to fetch between $6.4 million to $10.3 million in a Sotheby's 2012 Hong Kong auction but failed to find a buyer.
AARON TAM/AFP/AFP/Getty Images