Ripe for return

Ming Dynasty porcelain jar that sold for record amount in 2000 is back on the block in Hong Kong. Lin Qi reports.

In 2000, a spherical 16th-century polychrome jar which once adorned a Chinese emperors' palace sold for HK$44 million ($5.64 million) at a Hong Kong auction, establishing a world record for Chinese porcelain at the time. The jar had sound provenance, being once owned by Hu Huichun, an eminent Shanghai connoisseur of Chinese art during the 20th century. The victorious bidder was Robert Tsao, a Taiwan entrepreneur and noted collector of Chinese art. The bidding was fierce and Tsao's competitors included London-based Guiseppe Eskenazi, one of the most important Chinese art dealers in the world.

Tsao says what he likes the most about the porcelain jar is the lively depiction of fish swimming in a pond, and the attractive weeds that surround them. He says the scene is so vivid that it looks like a real fish tank from a distance.