Chinese bidders push up prices

A little piece of carved Chinese jade with a top estimate of €6,000 sold for €380,000 at Adam's, St Stephen's Green, Dublin last Sunday. The 18th century Chinese pale and russet jade ritual wine vessel sold to a Chinese bidder on the phone from Beijing. The 12cm-long vessel came to light during a house clearance in Dublin. Overall, 82 per cent of the 530 lots in the Sunday Interiors sale sold. Adam's described the price achieved for the jade piece as "a wonderful surprise for all involved". The result is the latest in a series of spectacular prices paid for Chinese fine art at auctions in Ireland during the past five years.

A matchbox-sized piece of carved Chinese jade made €630,000 at Sheppard’s in Co Laois in 2012. Sheppard’s had expected the Qing period white jade seal to sell for between €4,000 and €6,000.

Valuing Chinese antiques is a tricky business.