A red bowl with a lotus pattern broke the world record for Chinese Kangxi ceramics on Monday, fetching $US9.5 million after a bidding war won by a Hong Kong ceramics dealer.
The Ruby-Ground Double-Lotus "falangcai" bowl from the Kangxi period of 1662-1722 was sold on the last day of an auction held by Sotheby's.
The red bowl with a design of pink and blue lotuses ultimately went to Hong Kong ceramics dealer William Chak for HK$74 million.
It sold for HK$528,000 the first time it went under the hammer at Sotheby's in 1983. In 1999, it fetched HK$12 million.
