An exceedingly rare Chinese Clair-de-Lune glazed porcelain bottle vase, Changjingping, found in the kitchen cabinet of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Fleischmann III in Cincinnati, Ohio, sold for $444,500 at Freemans/Hindman on March 26. The elegant light-blue vase, the crown jewel of the Chinese and Himalayan Works of Art sale, far exceeded its pre-sale estimate on the back of remarkable interest from around the globe. While the six-inch fine clair-de-lune bottle vase may appear unassuming, it was anything but. Having a low bulbous body and rounded shoulders narrowing to an elongated taut neck, the vase featured a gorgeous sky-blue glaze applied evenly throughout the exterior, stopping above the neat foot ring which shows the fine clay that used to make this vase. It was the six-character mark on the base of the vase, however, that sent bidders into a frenzy. The vase bears a Yongzheng mark and is consistent with pieces from the period. The Yongzheng emperor was known for his aesthetic taste in art, particularly in porcelain. Under his and his staffs supervision, the imperial kiln managed to produce extremely high-quality porcelain objects that were the picture of elegance and taste. Yongzheng reigned for only 13 years, however, so only a small number of pieces were made during his reign and even fewer have survived to this day. Most of the pieces like this bear a six-character mark in regular script, but this particular bottle featured bronze script, making it exceedingly rare. Only three such examples are known to exist, including one at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The vase came to Freemans/Hindman from the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Fleischmann III. It was believed to have been acquired during the Fleischmanns extensive world travels throughout their lives, just one part of the thousands of objects that comprised their eclectic collection. Interestingly, though, the vase was found tucked away in a kitchen cabinet at their home in suburban Cincinnati, and despite scouring the Fleischmanns extensive documentation of their collection, nothing was found on the piece. Without the complete documentation, Freemans/Hindman estimated the piece conservatively, but as bidders from around the world descended on Chicago to examine the vase in person, the markets opinion on it was clear. Twenty phone bidders battled over the vase for several minutes, sending the price into the stratosphere. To learn more, visit www.hindmanauctions.com.