'Worthless' Chinese heirloom sets auction record in UK

British media is reporting this week that Christmas has come early for a Chester family, thanks to a vase that had been mistakenly valued at about $600 earlier this year. Last week a British auction house attracted a flurry of international bidders and set a house record when the vase sold for 228,000 pounds, or $377,733.

The owner told local newspapers that the tiny art piece had been in her family for generations and had been presumed to have little value. But their curiosity was piqued by a local dealer's interest, and when they got a second opinion from Byrne's/Saltney, the auctioneer determined it was quite valuable.

The colorful miniature turned out to be a rare 18th-century Chinese imperial gilt bronze.