A blue and white fish jar believed to be made in Yuan Dynasty back over 700 years ago was hammered out for 1,900,000 pounds (one pound equals about 1.84 US dollars) here on Tuesday.

The jar turned out to be the most expensive piece at the Christie's Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art Auction, where over 200 pieces, mostly ceramics, were hammered out.

The jar, 31 cm high and 34 cm in diameter at the waist, is decorated with four different fish, with their named pronounced in Chinese as "qing", "zheng", "lian", "gui", just the same as "just, clean and upright".

The jar, with its vivid painting of the fish swimming amongst the water grass, is said to be very rare for its high quality of body and glaze.

Second to the Yuan jar came a blue and white "nine dragon" vase believed to be made in Qianlong (1736-95) period.

The jar, believed to be a gift for the imperial family, with a jammer price of 550,000 pounds.

Over 200 Chinese ceramics and jade carvings were auctioned, with many of them at much higher price than expected.