World
Chinese imperial seal sold for record $22m at auction
Photo: AFP/Getty Images
An 18th Century Chinese imperial seal has been sold for a record €21m ($22m) – more than 20 times its estimated price, the BBC reports.
The sale, to an unnamed Chinese collector, took place in Paris on Wednesday after a heated bidding war, Drouot auction house said.
The palm-sized seal is made of red and white steatite, a type of mineral rock.
It was one of hundreds owned by Emperor Qianlong, one of the longest serving Chinese emperors.
The previous record set for an auctioned seal was €14m in 2011.