A vase kept in a kitchen in England could sell for £150,000 after it was revealed to be a rare 18th century Chinese artifact(手工艺品) which was created for the Qianlong Emperor. The vase was purchased by a surgeon in the 1980s for a few hundred pounds, according to UK-based auction house Dreweatts, which is handling the sale later this month. The surgeon later passed it onto his son who, not realizing its value, kept it in the kitchen.

Standing at two feet tall with a striking palette(主色调) of gold and silver against a vivid blue background, the vase carries the distinctive six-character mark of the Qianlong period (1736-1795) on its base, Dreweatts, in Berkshire, southern England, said in a press release. It is estimated to sell for £100,000 to £150,000 in Dreweatts’ auction.

“Discoveries of this type are very rare in the lifetime of a valuer,” Mark Newstead, specialist consultant for Asian ceramics and works of art at Dreweatts, said Thursday. Newstead said he first saw the vase when he, his wife and another couple were invited to lunch at a friend’s house in the late 1990s. The vase was in an alcove(壁龛) set back from the kitchen table. “It had a great luminosity(光泽) and fine decoration, and although at the time my main area of expertise was European ceramics, I had an overwhelming sense it was 18th century and something very good,” added Newstead. It was not until he visited the house again a few years later that Newstead saw the vase had been moved to a much safer place in the drawing room. He then looked at it more closely and thought it was for Qianlong. However, the vase stayed where it was for another 20 years.

Dreweatts described the vase as an “extraordinary example of imperial Qianlong porcelain,” which used highly unusual techniques and striking colors. The auction house said it is extremely rare to see blue vases painted in both gilding(镀金层) and slightly raised silver—which is thought to be due to the medium being difficult to control.

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1.Why did the surgeon’s son keep the vase in the kitchen?

A He kept it away from Dreweatts.

B He didn’t think it was worth much.

C He tried to keep it safe and well.

D His father asked him to do so.

解析：选B。B 推理判断题。根据第一段最后一句“The surgeon later passed it onto his son who, not realizing its value, kept it in the kitchen.”可知，医生的儿子没有意识到其价值，也就是他认为这个花瓶不值钱，所以把它放在了厨房。故选B。

2.What makes people believe it’s a vase from the Qianlong period?

A It has the mark of the distinctive six-character.

B It has great design and detailed decoration.

C It is estimated to sell for huge amounts of money.

D It has the length of more than two feet in all.

解析：选A。A 细节理解题。根据第二段第一句的“the vase carries the distinctive six-character mark of the Qianlong period (1736-1795) on its base”可知，人们是根据其底部的六个汉字判断该瓷器来自乾隆时期。故选A。

3.Why could Mark Newstead see the vase at first?

A He visited many European countries.

B A couple invited him to value the vase.

C He was a friend to the vase’s owner.

D The vase stayed in the drawing room.

解析：选C。C 细节理解题。根据第三段第二句“Newstead said he first saw the vase when he, his wife and another couple were invited to lunch at a friend’s house in the late 1990s.”可知，Mark Newstead在朋友家做客时发现了这个花瓶，即他是花瓶主人的朋友。故选C。

4.The auction house thought the vase was rare because of its_________.

A brightly painted colors

B common techniques

C state of being kept

D difficult painting style

解析：选D。D 细节理解题。根据最后一段的“which is thought to be due to the medium being difficult to control”可知，花瓶上的绘画技巧很难控制才让这个花瓶如此稀罕。故选D。