Auction set for 2,000-year-old crossbow

Chinese artifacts, including a 2,000-year-old crossbow, a snake-shaped oil lamp from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), and a Zhou Dynasty (c. 11th century-256 BC) bronze bell, are set to go under the hammer at an auction in the United Kingdom city of Cambridge.

Cheffins Auction House estimates the three items could fetch more than a combined 260,000 pounds ($342,000) and says there is a strong demand for such items.

"The market for historical Asian artifacts is booming as they become the next must-have item for wealthy Asian collectors," said Philippe Smolarski, head of Asian art at Cheffins. "Previously, the majority of buyers for these pieces were the Chinese superrich, however there has been a tangible increase in the number of purchasers looking to buy back a part of the country's heritage, which has led to prices rocketing even for the most mundane items."