A Chinese vase which was being stored on a dining room floor is expected to fetch up to £500,000 at auction after its true value was spotted by a fine art expert.
The “sumptuous” jar and cover, dating back to the Qianlong period and adorned with lotus scrolls and bats in flight, will go under the hammer at Sotheby’s in London on November 9 after being “discovered” at an undisclosed address in Shropshire.
Welshpool-based valuer Jeremy Rye identified the vase – which had spent most of the last 30 years unrecognised near a dining room window – after being called out to assess an English-made dessert service.
Mr Rye, who worked for Sotheby’s for 20 years from the late 1970s and now runs his own fine art agency, said: “My eye was immediately drawn to the 18-inch vase that was sitting on the floor. The owners had no idea of its value, and I suspect that they would have parted with it for a few hundred pounds.” (PA)
No proof of age
A 92-year-old woman was refused a bottle of whisky because she couldn’t prove that she was over 18.
Great-grandmother Diane Taylor, of Harlow, Essex, initially believed that the cashier serving her at the local One Stop shop was complimenting her when she was asked for ID. However, after realising the female member of staff was serious, she had no choice but to find identification documentation to prove her age, her pensions card, bus pass, a blood donors card and even her pacemaker. But none of them were enough as they didn’t show her date of birth and she was not allowed to buy the bottle of whisky for her son. Speaking to the Harlow Star newspaper, she said: “I was in a hurry and it caught me off guard when she asked to see some ID.
“When I asked her exactly what she wanted she said proof of age. But I don’t have a passport or driving licence so what did they expect me to do?” (AFP)
Speedy cop
A Miami police officer has been accused of driving at 120mph because he was late for his off-duty job working as security officer at a school.
The Florida Highway Patrol said officer Fausto Lopez was arrested at gunpoint after leading police on a brief high-speed chase. According to a police report, a trooper spotted a patrol car changing lanes in a dangerous manner earlier this month.
The report says the patrol car ignored warnings to pull over and led a brief high-speed chase before stopping near Hollywood. (PA)
Nude study
Naked art lovers are no longer able to take dips together in a bathtub-like installation at a New York City museum after warnings from health officials.
The Psycho Tank is part of an interactive exhibit Experience by German artist Carsten Holler. The pool sits off the ground in a tent-like structure. Visitors are handed bathrobes, slippers and towels before heading into the salty, warm water – naked.
The New York Post reports health officials said allowing more than one person would have required a permit the museum did not have. The museum is now allowing only one person in at a time. (PA)
Mystery sculpture
A huge Lego sculpture that mysteriously appeared last week on a Florida beach will remain in police custody for 90 days while investigators try to figure out whom it belongs to, according to authorities.
The more than 2.5-metre-tall Lego Man weighing about 45 kilos turned up on the sands of Siesta Key beach off Florida’s Gulf coast last Tuesday, but no one has claimed responsibility for putting it there.
“The Sheriff’s Office is obligated to take and retain custody of the sculpture for a period of 90 days, just like all other lost and found property under this statute,” the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
“During this time, a determination will be made as to who has the best legal claim to it.”
The Danish manufacturer of the wildly popular brick-building toys – which opened the largest Legoland in the world in Orlando, Florida earlier this month – has denied any involvement in the incident. (AFP)
Pub’s spirits
A “wine snob” ghost is lurking in the cellar of a pub making its feelings known about the house wine, it has been claimed.
The ghost, named Corky by regulars at the Court Oak pub in Harborne, Birmingham, appears to have strong opinions about the wine list.
The pub, part of the Sizzling chain, is built on the site of a 17th century hanging ground, sparking speculation that Corky may be the ghost of someone who died there years ago. Pub manager Anne Tyler said smashed bottles of red and white house wine were discovered in the cellar until the selection was upgraded. (PA)
Luxury flight
A rare honey buzzard which was injured in the UK is set to fly to its African wintering grounds this week - by plane, the Hawk Conservancy Trust said.
The juvenile bird suffered a fractured wing and was taken to the Trust’s bird of prey hospital in Hampshire for treatment, but because of the time it took to heal, the buzzard missed the moment to migrate to Africa.
So the experts have decided to give the honey buzzard a helping hand, by arranging for it to fly by plane - in a wooden crate - to Gambia, where it will be released. (PA)