Most Expensive Antiques

When citing information for URLs look for reputable sources, such as .gov, .org, .edu, or truly in-depth non-competing articles. Copy and paste citing URLs below.

It’s a good bet you don’t have a rare Chinese vase sitting on a shelf, but knowing how to identify the world’s most expensive antiques could help you spot a potential treasure at the next tag sale you visit. 

Old furniture, art, jewelry and other items are considered antiques if they’re at least 100 years old and have historical or cultural value as well as monetary worth.

If you’re interested in collecting or investing, here’s a list of the most expensive antiques to help you learn more about uncovering future gems.

Quick Look: Most Expensive Antiques

• The Hope Diamond
• Pinner Qing Dynasty vase
• Ru Guanyao brush washer bowl
• Badminton Cabinet
• Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Leicester
• Clark Sickle-Leaf Carpet
• Oliphant battle horn
• Patek Philippe Henry Graves Supercomplication watch
• “Dragons” armchair
• Moonflask in pink and blue enamel with white porcelain

10 Most Expensive Antiques That Keep Gaining Value

One of the advantages of investing in antiques and collectibles is that the object’s value is tied to its age, so each passing year may increase the worth of your investment. Here’s a look at the 10 most expensive antiques. 

1. The Hope Diamond

The dark blue Hope Diamond initially weighed 112-3/16 carats when discovered in the Kollur Mine in the city of Guntur in India in the 17th century. At 45.52 carats now, it’s one of the biggest and most famous gems in the world, and one of the most expensive. It sits in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and is valued at $350 million.  

2. Pinner Qing Dynasty Vase

Showcasing traditional Chinese artwork with intricate floral designs and vibrant colors, the Pinner Qing Dynasty vase originated in the 18th century. The porcelain piece holds the record as the most expensive antique ever sold, and it gets its name from Pinner, a London suburb, where it was uncovered. The vase sold for $80.2 million in 2010.

3. Ru Guanyao Brush Washer Bowl

Originating during China’s Song Dynasty, an age rich in cultural and technological advances from 960 to 1279, the Ru guanyao brush washer bowl is five inches in diameter and features a turquoise glaze and ice-crackle pattern. Bowls of its kind were used to clean calligraphy or paint brushes. This rare and fragile piece sold for $37.7 million at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong in October 2023. 

4. Badminton Cabinet

The famous Badminton Cabinet is considered the most expensive piece of furniture ever sold. It’s adorned with amethyst and agate and was once known as the Badminton Chest. Hans-Adam II, prince of Liechtenstein, bought the 14-foot-tall, 7-foot-wide chest of Florentine craftsmanship at a Christie’s auction in December 2004. The price? $36 million. The prince placed the chest in the Liechtenstein Museum.

5. Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Leicester

Considered one of the world’s most valuable manuscripts, the Codex Leicester is 18 handwritten pages of Leonardo da Vinci’s notes, diagrams and drawings on topics from fossils to water systems. Da Vinci began the scientific journal in 1510. Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, bought the Codex Leicester at auction in 1994 for $30.8 million. 

6. Clark Sickle-Leaf Carpet

One of the most valuable antiques ever is the Clark Sickle-Leaf carpet sold by Sotheby’s in New York in 2013 for $33.8 million, more than tripling any price previously paid for a rug. The hand woven Persian floor covering was part of a collection owned by William A. Clark. It dates back to the first half of the 17th century and is thought to be from Kerman in southeast Iran. The anonymous winning bid for the rug was placed by telephone.

7. Oliphant Battle Horn

“Oliphant” is derived from the Old French word for elephant, and about 80 battle horns made from their tusks are known to exist. The intricate carving on the horn depicts horizontal bands through which birds and animals fly and roam. It also features a soldier in Norman armor fighting against a lion. The Oliphant Battle Horrn was carved during the 11th century and sold for $16.1 million at a private auction in Scandinavia.

8. Patek Philippe Henry Graves Supercomplication Watch

Tagged as the Mona Lisa of watches or the finest horological art, the Patek Philippe Henry Graves Supercomplication watch is widely considered the most complex mechanical watch created without the use of a computer. Commissioned in 1925, it was finished in 1932 and delivered to American banker Henry Graves Jr. in 1933. In 2014, an anonymous bidder bought the watch at auction for $24 million, giving it the distinction of the most-expensive timepiece ever sold.

9. “Dragons” armchair

In the early phase of her career as an architect and furniture designer, Eileen Gray created what would go on to become the priciest chair in the world. Known as “Dragons,” the armchair has lacquered, curved wooden arms carved to resemble a dragon and is upholstered in brown leather. It was commissioned by Madame Mathieu Levy and designed between 1917 and 1919. Gray’s armchair sold at Christie’s Art Auction in Paris for $27.8 million in February 2009, making it the most expensive chair ever sold.

10. Moonflask in Pink and Blue With White Porcelain

This white porcelain flask with pink and blue enamel was created under the reign of Emperor Qianlong, who ruled between 1735 and 1796 during the Qing dynasty in China, which lasted for more than 250 years to about 1912. Qianlong was considered a patron of the arts and a collector of antiques, qualities that show through the craftsmanship of the flask, which features two phoenixes and a flaming pearl. Sold at auction by Christie’s in Hong Kong in 2010, the Moonflask fetched $15.1 million.

Could Your Item Be Among the Most Expensive Antiques?

Maybe you do own a box full of antique jewelry or an odd-looking vase that used to sit on your grandmother’s mantle. These items may hold sentimental value in your family, but they could also be worth a small fortune. While many of the world’s most expensive antiques sat in private collections, some were uncovered in common places and sold for millions of dollars.

Even if your antique armoire, heirloom pendant or unusual artifact is not worth millions, it might be worth investigating before tossing it aside. Find out whether you are sitting on expensive antiques.

Frequently Asked Questions