NathanThere At Sotheby’s
Since her curiosity got the best of her, she knew she had to find whatever she could learn about the vase. So the French woman kept it back in the shoebox where she found the vase and left to go to Sotheby’s Paris. As this place is one of the most prestigious auction houses in the world, she hoped they could be of help. When the experts took a look at it, they were quickly impressed and surprised…
Experts Were Mind Blown
So when the woman finally got to Sotheby’s Paris, she was immediately introduced to Olivier Valmier, who is a specialist in Asian arts there. Just by taking a quick peek at the mysterious vessel, Valmier knew that it was something truly unique and rare. “When [the owner] put the box on my desk and we opened it, we were all stunned by the beauty of the piece,” Valmier revealed in a later interview. So what about it was so special?
Piece Of Art
Just by looking at it, Olivier Valmier knew that this vase was an amazing work of art. This vase also had the potential to be able to answer questions about the era it was made in and the art that might have been popular at the time. “This is a major work of art. It is as if we had just discovered a Caravaggio,” he explained. However, the vase had a distinct look that made everything different.
Mysterious Mark
Even though Olivier Valmier was impressed just by the sheer beauty and design of the vase, there was one particular feature that took this investigation to a whole other level. The base of this vase actually had a mysterious mark that seemed to belong to some Chinese calligraphy. After further inspecting the crates and cross-referencing all previous sightings of the same mark, Valmier could finally identify to which era it belonged. The result was astounding.
Made In Royalty
After an extensive research was done, Valmier could then find out the historical context behind the mysterious mark on the vessel. The specialist realized that it was actually the symbol of the Qianlong Emperor. This would mean that this vase was actually 220 years old. The empire ended in the year 1912, Sotheby’s Paris was confident that this specific vase was there during the time of the Qianlong Emperor during 1735 and 1796.
A Huge Empire
To get a clearer sense of how precious this Chinese vase is, the experts dug a little deeper. So they learned that the Quianlong empire is one of largest empires ever in history that even took over three million square miles of lands at one point in time. There are records that claim that the 24-year-old Quianlong Emperor conquered many lands through military means and was a passionate lover of art.