15th century Chinese bowl worth half a million USD found at US yard sale

A $35 yard sale find in the United States turned out to be a valuable 15th century Chinese treasure worth up to $500,000!

The porcelain bowl with delicate floral motifs, was purchased in Connecticut by an anonymous bidder, reports NDTV.

The customer had the piece appraised by Sotheby's ceramics experts, first by photographs and then by getting it into the auction house for a closer look.

Experts believe it was painted for Emperor Yongle, the Ming dynasty's third emperor who reigned from 1402 to 1424.

"There are only six (other) such bowls known in the world. It is a very exclusive group," Angela McAteer, head of Chinese artworks at Sotheby's in New York, told AFP.

On March 17, Sotheby's will auction the recently found seventh bowl, which is estimated to sell for between $300,000 and $500,000.

Two of the bowls are in Taiwan, two are in London, and one is in Tehran.

According to McAteer, the sixth was last seen on the market in 2007, indicating that private collectors and institutions are likely to be interested in the sale.

Many Chinese artworks entered collections in the West in the 19th century before being passed down through generations.

But McAteer says experts are unlikely to ever know exactly how the bowl made its way from China to the junk sale.