Chinese teapot valued at £1k sells at auction for £1m

The little teapot brought cheers and applause when it sold

A rare Chinese teapot has sold at auction for more than £1m - about a thousand times the value auctioneers had originally placed on it.

The pear-shaped light green pot, which stands five inches (13cm) high, bears the mark of the Qianlong Emperor who ruled China from 1736 to 1795.

Featuring a peach and pip on its lid, it sold on Monday in just 10 minutes.

Duke's Auctioneers in Dorchester had valued it at £1,000 to £2,000, but it sold for £1,040,000.

It stands just five inches high

The teapot was found on a routine valuation in Dorset. It later gained interest from "hundreds of collectors and dealers" at an exhibition.

The little pot, which has damage to the lid, brought cheers and applause at the packed auction room when it sold.

The rare teapot is decorated with a peach and pip on its lid