A 18th-century Chinese vase discovered during a routine clear-out of a bungalow in northwest London has sold at auction for a record £53m (85 million dollars).

The 16-inch Qianlong porcelain vase is understood to have been bought by a private buyer from China in the sale Thursday at a small London auction house.

The item has made the brother and sister who inherited the vase following its discovery in their parents’ north London suburban home instant multi-millionaires.

A pair of jade elephants that sat on either side of a Chinese emperor’s throne are set to sell for millions of pounds after being unearthed in Dorset.

The important pale green pieces made for Emperor Qianlong in the 18th century have been sitting in Crichel House in Moor Crichel (UK) for the last 60 years.

Measuring 7.5 inches long and 6.5 inches high, the Asian elephants have tusks and were made by China’s finest craftsmen.

Prices for antiques in China have risen sharply over the past five years and now galleries all over the world over are waiting for the nation’s cashed-up collectors to spread the wealth overseas.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Netherlands’ Tefaf Maastricht, New York gallery director James Hennessy said that internationally things were looking up in the antique market, but all eyes were on China.

“Business is better than last year,” Hennessy told the Bloomberg news agency.

“The market for Chinese art expands with the Chinese economy. There are thousands of collectors in mainland China who are seeking out works in the West.

Japanese fashion designer Kenzo Takada will auction off some of the art that inspired his East-meets-West style, as he trades his plush Paris mansion for smaller digs on the Seine River.

The announcement came a month after the late Yves Saint-Laurent’s art collection was put up for auction by his partner Pierre Berge, a 373.5-million-euro bonanza that caused friction with China over a pair of looted bronze relics.

From Hopi Kachina dolls to bronze Buddhas, more than 1,000 pieces collected over the past two decades will be on the block at the June 16-17 sale organized by Aguttes auction house.

This is a call to all champagne lovers! Rarest 19Th century Baccarat Champagne Glasses are up for sale.

These are the extraordinarily rare pristine set of 12 Baccarat champagne glasses made in a pattern designed for the Imperial Russian court; slight variation on the Tsar pattern for the Russian Royal family’s exclusive use.

What makes these glasses so precious is that they are now only seen in museums and private collections. These have been authenticated by very experienced crystal specialists in both France and Italy but as Baccarat only started signing in 1934, there are no markings on the glasses.

However, it is said that only Baccarat made this size and design. The amazing glasses are 12 inches and the saucer that holds them is 4″ plus in diameter.
If you have the money, you would be delighted to know that you will have to spend 1400 euros ($2,000) for each Baccarat champagne glass. They can be purchased at malleries.com.

Now all you need to do is choose the right bubbly…