(Photo: Hansons Auctioneers)
According to the family, it had been acquired by a now-deceased relative in the 1930s. For many years, the vase was used as a doorstop at their home in Birmingham, UK.
But this is no ordinary vase. It's Chinese porcelain dating back to the reign of the Quianlong Emperor (1711-1799). It may have been made in the Imperial kilns for the Emperor's summer home. Hansons Auctioneers sold it to a buyer for the equivalent of $850,000 USD. You can read more about it at the Huffington Post.