The family heirloom was passed down through a number of generations before finally being sold
A Chinese Imperial vase valued at as little as £2k on BBC’s Antiques Roadshow has sold at auction – for £165k. The bronze and gilt vase, dating back to the 18th Century, had passed through the family of a military doctor in China on a ‘special mission’.
It was sold for more than 80 times what it had been valued at when it appeared on Antiques Roadshow nearly 40 years ago. And it smashed its recent estimate of between £3,000 and £5,000 – selling at Sloane Street Auctions for a premium-inclusive £164,750.
Dating to the Qianlong period of 1735-1796 – the most desirable creative era in Chinese history at the heart of the Qing dynasty – the vase stands at 33cm high and is of baluster form, very finely cast in trompe-l’oeil design of Chinese coins against a ‘diaper’ background.
The design includes stylised chilong dragons on the neck and a Greek key border at the top, whilst the base carries the vital, six-character Qianlong impressed sealmark – indicating that the item was made during this highly productive era.
The vase was acquired by military doctor, explorer and collector Major General Sir Courtenay Manifold (1864-1957), who sent on a special mission to western and central China in 1899.
The heirloom has been passed down through generations of his family since, and was consigned on behalf of an estate. The vase was valued at between £2,000 and £4,000 (£6,000-£12,000 in 2025 when adjusted for inflation) by Oriental specialist Sebastian Pearson on the Antiques Roadshow back in 1986.
However, having been valued at between £3,000 and £5,000 this time round, at Sloane Street Auctions’ sale on October 29, it sold for a premium-inclusive £164,750. Daniel Hunt, owner of Sloane Street Auctions, said: “This is exactly the range and quality of items that used to be offered by Christie’s South Kensington before it closed, and we are happy to don that mantle.
“Indeed, not only have several of our clients already pointed that out, but we are also delighted to work with Hugh Edmeades, Christie’s South Kensington’s former chairman, as our auctioneer on the rostrum.”
A rare Tulip watch, dating back to around 1640 by the Swiss maker Jean II Rousseau of Geneva, also sold at the auction for more than £80,000 in the sale.
