Paris June 13 (IANS) An 18th century Chinese vase left for decades in a shoebox in France has sold for 16.2m euros (£14.2m).
The vase was auctioned at Sotheby s in Paris on Tuesday and sold for more than 20 times its estimated guide price -- 500 000 to 700 000 euros.
It s the highest price ever reached for a single item sold by Sotheby s in France BBC reported.
The vase formed part of a family inheritance and was recently discovered in an attic.
Sotheby s Asian arts expert Olivier Valmier said the seller "took the train then the metro and walked on foot through the doors of Sotheby s and into my office with the vase in a shoebox protected by newspaper.
"When she put the box on my desk and we opened it we were all stunned by the beauty of the piece.
"This is a major work of art " Valmier continued. "It is as if we had just discovered a Caravaggio."
The 30 cm bulb-shaped vase painted in shades of green blue yellow and purple was described as an exceptionally well-preserved porcelain vessel made for an emperor of the Qing dynasty.
It depicts deer birds and other animals in a wood and includes gold embroidery around its neck. The vase bears a mark of the Qianlong Emperor who ruled China from 1736 to 1795.
The vase which was in perfect condition "is the only known example in the world bearing such detail " said Valmier.
"We didn t like the vase too much and my grandparents didn t like it either " said the owner of the piece who only got in touch with Sotheby s in March.
A Sotheby s spokeswoman said: "They knew it had some value but nothing like that nor that it was from the Qing dynasty."
The auction lasted some 20 minutes a long time by usual standards with multiple bidders battling for the vase.
Sotheby s has not revealed the name or nationality of the Asian buyer.

--IANS tsb