Rare porcelain bowl sold for $35 at yard sale is auctioned off for more than $700G

An exceptionally rare 15th century porcelain bowl made in China that somehow turned up at a Connecticut yard sale and sold for just $35 was auctioned off Wednesday for nearly $722,000.

Sotheby’s had estimated the value of the artifact at $300,000 to $500,000. Wednesday’s auction included 15 bids, starting at $200,000 from someone online and ending at $580,000 from another person bidding by phone. The official purchase price, which included various fees, was $721,800. An antiques enthusiast came across the Ming Dynasty-era piece and thought it could be something special when browsing a yard sale in the New Haven area last year, according to Sotheby’s. The buyer later emailed information and photos to Sotheby’s asking for an evaluation. "Today’s result for this exceptionally rare floral bowl, dating to the 15th century, epitomizes the incredible, once in a lifetime discovery stories that we dream about as specialists in the Chinese Art field," Angela McAteer, head of Sotheby’s Chinese Works of Art Department, said in a statement.