Qing Dynasty plates spark huge bidding war in UK

"When I got to the rostrum to start selling, I could see the initial bids on the computer, and the highest was only 1,200 pounds. I thought, oh gosh, that's not good. Then it very quickly went to 20,000 pounds, and up, off and away to 146,000 pounds," she said.

Hawley said that usually a lot is completed in less than a minute, but these pieces triggered eight minutes of bidding.

The dishes were both decorated with dragons using the doucai style of porcelain painting. The pieces date back to the reign of Yongzheng, the fifth emperor of the Qing Dynasty who ruled between 1722 and 1735.

"Yongzheng is the creme de la creme," said Hawley. "They really are exquisite; it makes you tingle to pick them up."

Emperor Yongzheng is thought to have been passionate about ceramics, and personally approved every piece made in the imperial workshop, ensuring a distinctive and refined style.

"The thing that made these pieces so special is the fact that the dragons have five claws on them, which is a sign that they could have been made for the imperial family," said Hawley.

Ceramics from the period have sent previous bids spiraling at UK auctions. A Yongzheng celadon fruit bowl sold for 220,000 pounds at a Bath auction last year, up from an estimated price of 20,000 to 30,000 pounds. At the same auction house, a Yongzheng vase went for 200,000 pounds having been valued at just 100 to 150 pounds in the catalogue.

In 2019, a blue and red lotus vase from the Yongzheng era sold for 1.3 million pounds at an auction in Hampshire, after bidding opened at 500,000 pounds.