Rare Chinese vase sells for USD 14.7 million in Hong Kong

A Southern Song dynasty-era vase has sold for a whopping USD 14.7 million at an auction in Hong Kong, one of the highest prices paid for a ceramic from that period.
Chinese tycoon Liu Yiqian shelled out USD 14.7 million for the vase - the third-highest price ever paid at auction for a Song ceramic - at a Sotheby's sale in Hong Kong yesterday.
The roughly eight and a half-inch vase will go to the Long Museum in Shanghai, which is owned by Liu and his wife, Wang Wei, 'The Wall Street Journal' reported.
The vase is part of the guan, or official, ware that was made for the imperial court of the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279) in Hangzhou.

It has a grayish-blue monochromatic glaze with threadlike crackles, which developed in the kiln during the cooling-down process after the piece had been fired.
Liu had last year paid a record price of USD 36 million at auction for Chinese porcelain - a Ming dynasty-era bowl known as the 'chicken cup'.