Bainbridges / PA 
 
 LONDON (Nov. 12) -- A Chinese porcelain vase discovered during a routine house clearance has sold for $69 million, the highest amount ever fetched by a Chinese artwork.The record-breaking price bid Thursday at a London auction house shocked the sellers, an unnamed brother and sister, who had to step out of the room for some fresh air when the hammer came down, reported The Daily Telegraph Incredibly, that precious porcelain piece sat unnoticed for years in a modest suburban home in the west London commuter town of Pinner, which was owned by the pair's uncle. Following his recent death, the siblings started to clear out the bungalow, but thought so little of the vase that they causally put it aside -- precariously placing it on top of a bookcase -- and continued with their tidying up.When the pair finally took the item to an auctioneer in the nearby town of Ruislip, they were surprised to hear that the 16-inch-high, yellow and sky-blue vase dated from the 1740s, and was almost certainly made for the powerful Qianlong Emperor (1711-1799)."[The owners] had no idea what they had," said Helen Porter of the Bainbridges auction house Auctioneers estimated that noble heritage would result in a sale price of between $1.3 million and $1.9 million. However, as an ever-growing number of wealthy Chinese are eager to own a piece of their nation's imperial heritage, the vase far exceeded the initial valuation. (Earlier that same day, a white jade dragon seal belonging to the Qianlong Emperor sold for $4.3 million in London, almost double its expected sale price). Nine bidders battled against each other for half an hour -- bids rose in $1.6 million chunks during the final minutes -- with a Beijing-based antiques agent eventually claiming the prize. Sponsored Links According to the Antiques Trade Gazette , the agent was bidding on behalf of a leading collector from mainland China. He told the Gazette that nothing as beautiful as the vase had been seen outside China in a very long time.The anonymous siblings aren't the only ones celebrating this surprise windfall. Because the buyer has to pay a 20 percent premium levied by the auction house, Bainbridges is set to receive a whopping $13.8 million payout. That's a life-changing amount for the owners of the small auction house, who normally sell relatively inexpensive antiques and equipment such as lawnmowers.The Guardian reported that Bainbridges' previous highest sale came two years ago, when a buyer paid $160,000 for a Ming enamel piece."[The auctioneer] will certainly be able to retire on the proceeds he's made on his fees from this," said Antiques Trade Gazette Editor Ivan Macquisten. "This is lottery money in fees." ||||| The pair are understood to have gone into hiding while they decide what to do with the vast sum and the rest of their lives. 
 
 Their identities were not widely known and few in the community of Pinner, in Middlesex, even knew the exquisite item was due for sale. 
 
 They are thought to have found the vase while they were clearing out their parents' house after the elderly couple's death. 
 
 They put it aside, on top of a bookcase, as they continued to deal with the rest of their parents' property for several months before the auction. 
 
 It was only later that they decided it might be worth something and decided to to put it up for auction. 
 
 They took it to the local auctioneer Bainbridges, in nearby Ruislip, who were in turn excited by the find and valued it at between £800,000 and £1.2m. 
 
 However, no one expected the reaction from Chinese buyers, who pushed the bidding up over 30 frenzied minutes to a world record £43m. 
 
 By the end of the auction, the price was increasing in £1m chunks as the final few bidders - understood to be mainland Chinese businessmen - vied for the vase. 
 
 At one point, the sister selling it almost passed out from the rising value and had to leave the room for some fresh air. 
 
 The 18th century Qianlong-dynasty porcelain piece is believed to have fetched the highest price for any Chinese artwork ever sold at auction. 
 
 The total price, including commission and VAT on the commission, was £53,105,000. 
 
 Helen Porter, of auctioneers Bainbridges, said: "The mother and son had no idea what they had. They were hopeful but they didn't dare believe until the hammer went down. 
 
 The sellers might have asked to remain anonymous and few in the community north west of London appeared to have heard who they were. 
 
 However, it might be difficult to keep their new-found wealth a secret. 
 
 How the vase came to be in the family in the first place also remains a mystery, although it is understood to have come into its possession in the 1930s. 
 
 In the buildup to the sale, Bainbridges described their excitement, before knowing how the sale would develop. 
 
 Their online updates noted: "I can’t easily explain the excitement that is building up here in Ruislip. 
 
 "In the normal course of our business and from a local house clearance we have received generous instructions to offer what must be one of the most important Chinese vases to be offered for sale this century. 
 
 "The vase is of yang cai decoration and reticulated double walled construction. That is to say, there is an inner vase that can be viewed through the perforations of the main body. 
 
 "It is of the Qianlong period, circa 1740s. It is 16″ high and the ovoid body is decorated with 4 circular cartouches each masterfully carved and enamelled with humorous fish, all beneath a primrose yellow trumpet neck exquisitely painted. 
 
 "It is a masterpiece." 
 
 Chris Albury, of auctioneers Dominic Winter, based in Swindon, Wilts, said the high price reflected the increased buying power in China. 
 
 He said: "It's a freak price. I'm absolutely astonished. What a great find. 
 
 "The word would have been going around that this had come up for sale and there have been strong signs of money in China for a few years now. 
 
 "This year it's been more noticeable, there have been indications that people have lots of money to spend, but nothing like this."
– A Chinese vase found by an English family in the attic has sold for $69 million at auction, the Telegraph reports. A brother and sister from Middlesex found it while cleaning out their deceased parents' house. "It is a masterpiece," says one expert, a perfect example of a rare design dating from the Qianlong period of about 1740. The auctioneer Bainbridges figured the vase would sell for about $1.6 million, but a frenzied bidding war between what were assumed to be prominent Chinese businessmen pushed the value into the stratosphere over the last half hour. While the vase is certainly valuable, experts say the auction yielded a "freak price"—reflecting the growing disposable income of the Chinese business elite. The sellers have gone into hiding while they figure out what to do with the money. Click here for more.