Blue and White I

Antique blue and white vases have been very well soughed after by collectors all over the world. But do you know the most expensive piece of blue and white vase (or rather jar) that had been auctioned before? Take a look at the picture below.

Yuan blue and white jar

This is a jar made during the Yuan dynasty. It is widely known as 'the master returns' in the world of antiques. It fetched 230 millions RMB during an auction, that was a record for a Chinese antique porcelain. All the while, people thought that the making of blue and white vases only started during the Ming dynasty. With the discovery of a blue and white vase (now in a British museum) that had the mark of a Yuan emperor, it was confirmed that blue and white vases were indeed first produced during the Yuan (Mongolian) dynasty.

Blue and whit vase with the mark of Yuan emperor

These vases are very valuable as there are very few (around 30 plus) left behind, mostly in museums. Ever since the auction of the above vase for a record price, there have been a lot of fakes appearing in the market.

Master in war strategies

 

Master's student who suffered defeats

The story painted on this vase is about a master (nick-named devil of the valley) in war strategies who was on a chariot driven by tigers to assist his student (Sun Bin, apparently suffered losses in war) in matter of warfare during the era of the warring states more than 2000 years ago. The name of the jar is thus known as the return of the devil of the valley. A military officer from Holland bought the vase in China more than a hundred years ago. At first experts thought that this vase was from the Ming dynasty and did not value it highly. With the discovery of another Yuan dynasty blue and white vase that had the Yuan emperor mark, the Yuan blue and white vases suddenly become the darling in collectors' heart.