The vase, octagonal in shape, displaying an unctuous-layered glaze, was acquired by Shanghai-based businessman Liu Yiqian and will go to his museum in Shanghai. The world famous buyer paid US$14.7 million for the ancient guan ware vase, making it the third highest record at auction for a Song dynasty ceramic.
The name Liu Yiqian may not sound familiar, but the famous ‘chicken cup’ he bid for in April last year sparked outrage when the Chinese buyer drank from the cup in front of journalists and Sotheby’s staff. He reportedly paid for the delicate porcelain cup 24 times on his American Express card, due to Sotheby’s limit of $1.6 million per transaction.
The Meiyintang 'Chicken cup' sold Sotheby's Hong Kong, April 8, 2014
Photo credit: Sotheby's
So why so much excitement for this tiny cup?
If the cup made it into the hands of the emperor, it was a feat to be admired. Made during the reign of the Chenghua Emperor (1465-1487), they were produced in minimal quantities, and destroyed if not in perfect condition. Only three cups remain in private hands. Its delicate, doucai “contrasting colors” describes its technique, where the chicken design was drawn in a fine cobalt-blue outline and fired multiple times, starting at a high temperature. This time-consuming production process and accuracy of the design is what makes this piece exceptional. The cup sold for $38.4 million setting a world auction record for Chinese porcelain. Nicolas Chow, Deputy Chairman of Sotheby’s Asia and International Head of Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, described it as the “holy grail” of Chinese art.
Liu is considered a celebrity amongst the Chinese museum-goers who all know exactly how much he paid for this one specific cup which is displayed in his museum, the Long Museum. During his childhood, Liu sold handbags on the streets of Shanghai and quickly learnt the tricks of the trade. He was also a taxi driver, but his big break arrived at the age of 27 after investing in the stock trade. Today, the BBC reports Liu is famous amongst staff for wearing t-shirts to work. As of October 2014, Forbes recorded his net worth of $1 billion; the 'Rich List’s #220'. At 51 years of age, his wealth comes from investments; he is the definition of the self-made man in China and is using his wealth to create his museum, with his wife, Wang Wei, chief curator, where visitors flock to see the original chicken cup bought at Sotheby’s Hong Kong last year. He told The New York Times in Shanghai last year, “Originally no one would pay to go into an art museum. They couldn’t even feed themselves properly, how could they appreciate something like art?”
Liu’s celebrity status was again propelled to new heights in November last year when he acquired the 600-year old imperial embroidered Tibetan tapestry, known as a thangka at Christie’s Hong Kong, making a new world record at $45 million. This has now also become a celestial attraction in his museum.Encompassing two sites in Shanghai, the Long Museum Pudong and Long Museum West Bund, the museum’s collection is exclusively Chinese, ranging from contemporary to ancient art with regularly rotating exhibitions. Liu sees himself as a protector of his county’s rich history. Time Out Shanghai’s only criticism is a lack of atmosphere, which will surely come with time.
