A Barnet townhouse’s living‑room sofa had a 2‑ft‑wide, 30‑lb porcelain dish buried beneath it for decades, the family unaware of its heritage.
John Axford, Woolley & Wallis’ Asian art specialist, inspected the piece in person and spotted a four‑character seal, “Chuxiugong zhi,” linking it to Chuxiu Palace in Beijing’s Forbidden City.
The dish’s yellow glaze, green and aubergine enamels, and dragon‑flaming‑pearl motif are hallmarks of late Qing imperial wares, yet it is the only known example with a yellow base glaze across the entire surface.
Originally brought to Britain by Chinese immigrant Wing Lung Goo in the early twentieth century, the dish passed through his family’s hands before being forgotten under a sofa; after careful cleaning it appears nearly pristine.
Woolley & Wallis will offer the dish for auction on 10 November 2026, with an estimated price range of £20,000 to £30,000, drawing interest from collectors and historians alike.
The granddaughter of Wing Lung Goo, who sent the photos that triggered the discovery, said she hopes the sale honors her family’s legacy and the dish’s imperial past.