£2 charity shop trinket turns out to be Chinese rarity worth thousands

A £2 charity shop purchase proved to be worth more than originally bargained for after the rare item was estimated at £8,000.
The rare Chinese item to be put up for auction in FernhurstThe rare Chinese item to be put up for auction in Fernhurst
The rare Chinese item to be put up for auction in Fernhurst

The 18th century cloisonné period tripod censer was discovered by specialist Mark Grant, and is believed to date to the reign of the Qianlong emperor.

The item has been estimated at £5000-8000 but could well go for a great deal more, say the auctioneers.

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The Chinese rarity has sides decorated with formal scrolling lotus on a turquoise background.

The base is designed with scroll stemmed flowerheads which circle a gilded square plaque engraved with a Qianlong mark.

The rare find will appear at John Nicholson’s Oriental auction on December 16 in Fernhurst.