A Sino-Tibetan gilt-bronze of a serene Amitayus confounded modest expectations to sell for $690,000 (£518,000) at the Neal Auction Gallery in New Orleans on November 18, writes Roland Arkell.
Numerous bidders contested the gem-set figure that, although undated, was probably made in the imperial workshops during the reign of the Kangxi emperor (1662-1722). The estimate was just $2500-3500.