At an auction of the T. Y. Chao collection held by Sotheby's Hong Kong in May 1987, a 31.5cm-high underglaze-red vase decorated with a chrysanthemum scroll, which was produced during the Hung Wu reign period (1368-1399) of the Ming dynasty, sold to a Japanese businessman for HK $ 11.2 million (over US $ 1.4 million), setting a record price for a Chinese art object.
蘇富比國際公司歷屆售價最高的中國文物，都是瓷器，也就不難理解了。一九八七年五月，一件高卅一．五公分、明洪武年間出產的「釉裡紅纏枝菊花玉壺春瓶」，在香港蘇富比舉辦的「趙從衍收藏拍賣會」中，以港幣一千一百廿二萬的高價，被日本商人買走。