£1 Car Boot Sale Jade Dog Identified as 600-Year-Old Ming Dynasty Treasure

A Chinese jade dog bought for just £1 at a UK car boot sale has been identified as a 600-year-old Ming dynasty treasure. (Photo: PA)

A rare Chinese jade dog believed to be more than 600 years old could fetch up to £10,000 at auction after being bought for just £1 at a car boot sale in the UK. According to The Sun, the 8.5cm-long carved animal, made from mottled black and green jade, is believed to date back to the early years of the Ming dynasty, between around 1380 and 1420. It depicts a seated, recumbent dog with its head turned backwards and its legs and tail curled up. The remarkable discovery was made just two months ago when a buyer spotted the seemingly ordinary object at a car boot sale. The jade dog is now due to go under the hammer at Hansons Auctioneers in Etwall, Derbyshire, on Wednesday.

£1 car boot find could become a £10,000 treasure

The tiny black-and-green jade dog, discovered in a box, could fetch up to £10,000 when it goes under the hammer. (Photo: PA)

Auctioneer Charles Hanson said the discovery highlighted the unexpected treasures that can still be found at car boot sales across the UK. According to Hanson, one of the auction house's clients arrived at the sale relatively late, close to midday, rather than early in the morning, and spotted the small jade animal sitting inside a box on a stall. He described the piece as an “archaic seated recumbent dog” carved from black and green jade and said experts believe it dates from the late 14th or early 15th century. “We believe this little dog to be probably late 14th, early 15th century and there’s many ways we’ve been able to confirm that,” Hanson said. The vendor who sold the piece reportedly suspected that it was jade and had an inkling that it could be old, but the object was still sold for just £1.

Chinese jade has a long history of cultural significance

Hanson said the jade's unusual black-and-green colouring makes it particularly rare, while its age adds significantly to its importance. He expects the small carving to achieve up to £10,000 when it goes to auction. The auctioneer also highlighted the historical significance of the material itself, describing jade as a “mystical, magical substance” in Chinese society. Jade has long been associated with good fortune and has been treasured and collected in China for centuries. Despite some scratching, Hanson said the condition was remarkable considering the object's possible age. If the dating is correct, the dog could have been carved around the time of the Black Death and more than a century before Henry VIII came to the throne.

‘Magical history’ behind a centuries-old jade dog

For Hanson, the discovery is a reminder that valuable pieces of history can sometimes remain hidden in plain sight. “This dog has a magical history from China and it’s revered by the Chinese today who, as back then, adore jade and collect these hard stone animals,” he said.

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