Giuseppe Eskenazi, a London‑based dealer, clinched a 1,000‑year‑old Chinese Ding ware bowl at Sotheby's New York auction on March 15, 2013, paying $2,225,000—more than double its $200,000–$300,000 appraisal.
The bowl, originally sold for $3 at a New York yard sale in 2007, showcases thin, ivory‑glazed walls carved with lotus and leaf motifs, hallmarks of Northern Song dynasty pottery from Quyang, Hebei.
Sotheby's appraisal team, led by Cecilia Leung, marked the bowl as 'good condition,' noting only a slight rim warp and a tiny firing tear, and estimated its value at $200,000–$300,000.
Four bidders contended for the piece, and the hammer price of $2,225,000—including commission—shattered expectations and set a new benchmark for Song‑era porcelains.
The family that kept the bowl in their living room for six years was stunned by the auction result, as the humble yard‑sale find turned into a multi‑million‑dollar masterpiece.