What is it about antiques that make them so precious? Well, for starters, you cannot deny the fact that antiques have the ability to unlock the most obscure corners of humans and our history. You would definitely be surprised to learn that some of the most valued artifacts discovered in recent history have been found in the most unexpected places. These artifacts have been found in places one would never even care to look. This vase is one for the books. Truly something worth noting when it comes to antiques…
Just look at this vase as an example. It was actually discovered by a French woman who was rummaging through her attic. She was just going through her grandparents’ attic when she came upon this mysterious vase. She did not have much to say or think about it at first. She decided to give it up for auction at giants Sotheby’s and ended up with a sum of money she never thought was possible to ever get…
In The Attic
This lady from France actually found the vase on a random Spring day in her home. It was a small French home and in the attic, she began to go through the stuff there. The dusty attic had not been attended to for quite some time. The things that had been kept there had belonged to her grandparents who used to live there before she did. She never thought much of any of the things kept there…
It turns out, the vase she dug up was from her grandparents who in turn inherited it from an uncle who expired back in the year 1947. And right after that was the time the new owner came in. The French lady first saw an innocent looking shoebox where the vase had been kept. She did not think much of it at all. In fact, her first impression of the box was something quite surprising.
Unimpressed
So when she saw the vase, she was not all that impressed with it. She did not expect the vase to be all that it actually was. She did feel that the vase with all its intricate designs must have indeed had a very rich history behind it. There was also something else about the vase that is worth noting. There was a chance that it was once owned by the famous art collector Ernest Grandidier.
There was something missing about this vase. Even with all the designs and art, it had on, it was still not enough to impress the owners. “We didn’t like the vase too much,” one of the owners revealed to interviewers when asked about their first impressions when they stumbled upon the vase. The vase was not the only thing that did not leave them impressed, there was more…
A Good Collection
So as it turns out, the vase was not the only beautiful antique item that had been left behind by the uncle of the owner’s grandparents. There was a lot more that had been kept there in the house that the house owners themselves were not even aware of. The vase is actually believed to be a part of an extensive collection of Asian antiques. There were so much more…
The collection was actually a huge one that ranged from beautiful art pieces such as dragon robes, Chinese porcelains, and also a peculiar bronze mirror that had been placed inside of another box. In fact, this particular mirror was about to have a very similar experience that the vase ended up having. SO what was the lady’s plans with the vase she had discovered?
Could They Solve?
Since the vase seemed to be quite interesting, the French lady decided to do some investigation on the vase. She wanted to know more about its history and where it was from. So Nicolas Chow, who is the Chairman of Chinese works of art at Sotheby’s, still remembers the day the lady came to their auction house and requested their expert inspection on the vase.
“My colleague in Paris one day gets a phone call from a lady, telling him she has this vase that has been sitting in an attic for a couple of decades and she would like to bring it in,” Chow explained, talking about how she approached their office to check her vase. So then, was Sotheby’s able to solve the mystery of the vase? Were they able to get behind this antique piece’s history?