This carved celadon glazed 'flying clouds' water pot, with Kangxi six-character mark and of the period, was the star of Anderson & Garland's sale in Westerhope, near Newcastle-upon-Tyne on December 7-10.
The beehive-form water pot has a transparent glaze to the interior and base and, together with the later hardwood stand, measures 3in (8cm) high.
It was offered by the family of collector Commander Francis Warrington-Strong, who spent many years in the Far East and was Harbour Master in Hong Kong from 1957-1959. Warrie, as he was known to his friends, spoke Cantonese and was guided in his collecting by a Chinese dealer named Munsey Chen, who became a lifelong friend.
The collection was consigned from London to Newcastle - something specialist Steven Moore described as "a great compliment to myself, the firm and the region".
Estimated at £60,000-80,000, the water pot was bought at £270,000 by a Chinese dealer who flew in from Beijing to view the piece in person, underbid by the London trade.
The price is a house record for Anderson & Garland (beating the £206,000 bid in June 2003 for the Atkinson Grimshaw oil Autumn Gold) and represents a record for a work of art sold at auction in the North East region.
