Auctions

Ming Dynasty “Chicken Cup” Fetches $36 Million, Setting New Record for Chinese Porcelain

Artnet News,

The Meiyintang Chicken Cup Courtesy Sotheby's
The Meiyintang Chicken Cup Courtesy Sotheby's.

A 500-year-old cup, which measures only eight centimeters (3.1 in) and is daintily decorated with images of hens and chicks, was purchased by Shanghai collector Liu Yiqian for $36.3 million during an auction at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, the BBC reports.

Only 17 of these cups exist, four of which still in private hands. The result smashed the previous record for Chinese porcelain, set in 2010 with the sale of a vase for $32.4 million.


Follow Artnet News on Facebook:


Want to stay ahead of the art world? Subscribe to our newsletter to get the breaking news, eye-opening interviews, and incisive critical takes that drive the conversation forward.
  • Access the data behind the headlines with the artnet Price Database.
    GET STARTED

Share

Article topics
Old Masters

Artnet News
Subscribe or log in to read the rest of this content.

You are currently logged into this Artnet News Pro account on another device. Please log off from any other devices, and then reload this page continue. To find out if you are eligible for an Artnet News Pro group subscription, please contact [email protected]. Standard subscriptions can be purchased on the subscription page.

Log In