Ming Dynasty Vase Sells for Record $2.2 Million

A 14th-Century Ming Dynasty Chinese vase sold at auction today for nearly $2.2 million, a record price for a porcelain piece, an auction house said.

The winning bid of $2,185,897 for the 13-inch-tall, pear-shaped red decorated vase was made by an anonymous buyer, according to officials from Sotheby’s, which conducted the auction at a local hotel. The vase was part of a 118-piece private collection of porcelain from the Ming and Ching dynasties (1368-1911) that fetched more than $8.7 million, Sotheby’s said.