A Chinese porcelain table screen by Wang Bu has sold with an outstanding 22,776% increase on estimate as part of a UK auction.
 Bidders did not fail to recognise the work of the king of blue and white |
The table screen sold for £34,300 ($55,012) to a Canadian bidder on January 3. Valued at just £130-150, it soon attracted global attention, seeing an influx of online bids from across the world.
Auctioneer Richard Edwards told the Northern Echo newspaper: "This item far exceeded its estimate so there was a palpable tension in the saleroom as the bidding war for the screen escalated to such a height.
"The popularity of internet bidding is also ensuring worldwide exposure for such items and is pushing up the prices at sales."
Wang Bu (1898-1968) was a highly respected ceramic artist, who was renowned as "the king of blue and white". Studying under the famed Wu Aisheng, his finest works were completed after the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, many of which are now housed in museums.
"It is certainly a buoyant time for the trade of oriental objects, in particular artefacts from China with record prices being achieved for period porcelain and other disciplines, including furniture and art," Edwards added.
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