Sale of the world's most expensive vase in limbo as buyer refuses to pay

When an old vase found in her late sister's house went under the hammer for $92 million Gene Johnson and her son Anthony watched in amazement as they realised they were going to share a fortune. However, 15 months later the family is not a penny richer as the Quianglong dynasty imperial vase has not yet been paid for.

A Chinese property billionaire was named as the buyer after one of his agents was reportedly banned from registering for a Quianglong dynasty scroll in Toulouse after the alleged non-payment. This has fueled speculation that the Chinese government sabotages sales by having agents buy pieces and then refuse to pay because it believes the antiquities were looted from China and should not be sold.
Image: The Quianglong dynasty imperial vase that went under the hammer for $92 million

Mickey Mouse takes top billing at vintage movie poster auction

A never-before-auctioned 1932 Mickey Mouse poster from United Artists fetched $35,850 at a recent Vintage Movie Poster auction. The second spot on the podium went to a 1953 Paramount poster from War of the Worlds. Close on its heels was a 1938 Universal poster from Frankenstein featuring Boris Karloff  as the most famous monster to ever stalk the silver screen.

2010 auction records set by mainland Chinese collectors

In 2010 mainland Chinese collectors really began to make their presence felt at auction houses around the world, showing what a game-changer the relatively new pool of buyers has become. Recently ARTINFO China looked back on the year and selected their picks for the top key lots of the year. Read more...

Image Xu Beihong's Ba People Fetching Water (detail), 1937, which sold for $25.8m, a record price for Chinese painting at auction