A Smart Move

The lady contacted Nicolas Chow who is the Chairman of Chinese works of art at Sotheby’s. He recalls the day when the lady called his colleague in Paris and told him about the vase. Chow in an interview said, ” She said, the vase had been lying in an attic for some couple of decades and she wants to know about it and would like to offer the same for an auction table”.

Were the experts able to link the history with this mysterious vase?

Travel To Sotheby’s

The lady readily traveled to The Sotheby’s situated in Paris. She carried the vase in the same shoebox wrapped in the newspapers. She took a train followed by two metros and finally made her move into the Sotheby’s quarters. Sotheby’s was one of the most prestigious auction houses in the world. There she met Olivier Valmier who took the vase and carried on with his work. He closely had a look at the vase and was taken aback by the beauty the lady handed him over. What made Mr. Olivier this surprised? Was it only the beauty of the vase or something more?

What A Piece Of Art

Olivier Valmier was an experienced specialist in Asian arts at the auction house. Just a glimpse of at the vase made him sure that it was not only something antique but was extraordinary. The precision with which the vase was carved with paintings was remarkable. Oliver says,” As the lady placed the vase on the desk in front of us, I and the entire team was literally blown away with its beautification”. This was not all, it had an even interesting story behind its creation…

Was It A Caravaggio?

These experts look for various marks on the piece of art to find their potential history. Valmier knew this splendid piece was surely unique. The use of a typical form of paint colors, the accessories made it intricate. Valmier thought that this artwork could be from Caravaggio’s era, and if it is so, it will make a history in the auction house. But then he noticed a weird mark. He was dubious about its presence. But then this mark changed the entire history of this vase. What could it be?

Mysterious Mark

Knowing the era from which the vase belongs is directly proportionate to its worth. After thoroughly looking at the vase, Oliver could locate a mark at the bottom base of the vase. It appeared like a QR code but was something relatable to a mark of Chinese Calligraphy. After a close inspection of the mark, Oliver could decipher it. And the results regarding the Chinese era to which it belonged will astonish you…

A 1700s Work

 Valmier undertook a considerable amount of research before drawing the conclusion about the vase’s history. Finally, he concluded that the Chinese vase belonged to the era of the Qianlong Emperor. Which probably meant that it was a 220-year-old piece of work. Wow! Who knew a shoebox in attic dates back to the 18th century. It was an amazing realization.

Not only this, since the emperor’s rule ended near 1912, this vase was made around some 1735-1796 and was gracing his ancient palace. The lady found a historic piece…