How much did a rare Chinese bowl bought for $3 from a yard sale in the U.S. sell for at Sotheby’s in 2013?

A ceramic bowl, which measures just five inches in diameter, was originally purchased for $3 at a yard sale. It recently sold in an intense bidding war at Sotheby’s for $2.2 million in March 2013.

The previous owner displayed the bowl in their living room for several years before they became curious about its origins and had it assessed, Leung said. Sotheby's pre-sale estimates valued the bowl, which measures just five inches in diameter, at between $200,000 to $300,000.

The 'Ding' bowl is an example of Northern Song Dynasty pottery and described by Sotheby's as "remarkable and exceptionally beautiful." The only other known bowl of the same size, form and almost identical decoration has been in the collection of the British Museum in London for over 60 years, according to Sotheby's.