Broken statue sells for 15 times estimate

An ancient but badly broken Japanese statue has sold for over £1 million at auction, despite an estimate of just £70,000.

The female figure was sold at Sotheby's 'The Soul of Japanese Aesthetics' sale in London on Wednesday, and formed part of the collection created by Tokyo collector Tsuneichi Inoue during the early to mid-20th century.

Dating back around 2,800 years to the northern Tohoku region of Japan's main island of Honshu, this type of statue has been labelled 'shakoki-dogu', or 'goggle-eyed ceramic figurines'.

Their purpose is unknown, but they are generally believed to be linked with fertility rituals and shamanistic rites, perhaps as talismans to ensure safe childbirth or to represent fertility goddesses who brought about the eternal renewal of nature.

This particular dogu has extremely prominent, Madonna-style conical breasts.

"The overall impression given by the image is one of a beautifully plump, almost Rubenesque, female form with sloping shoulders unusual in dogu of this period. The ample, somewhat swollen breasts give the figure a maternal strength," say auctioneers Sotheby's.

"It is also the shape of the mouth that gives this piece its unique personality. In many other dogu of this period, the mouth is commonly stylized into a simple circle or oval, but here the lips have a life to them suggesting the figure is speaking to us."

However, at some stage during its long history, the statue has been broken, and at 19.5cm high is less than half its original size.

However, says Sotheby's: "Several other features add to the historical value of this particular figurine: the hourglass-shaped earring suspended from the right earlobe, which has been preserved undamaged, as well as the two parallel vertical lines descending each cheek from below the eyes, which probably represent the tattooing believed to be customary in that era."

The reason for the low pre-auction estimate wasn't simply the damage: it was the fact that the figurine was so rare, making it hard to value.

However, bidding for the figurine was enthusiastic, says Sotheby's, and it was finally snapped up by a private buyer from Japan. The auction also included an exceptionally rare early Ming Dynasty blue and white facetted vase, Xuande mark and period, a slip-decorated Ding dish and a very rare Beishoku Guan vase; altogether, it made £18.28 million, way ahead of the £5 million estimate.

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