London - A golden fish jar dating back to the Ming dynasty of imperial China has fetched a staggering 1.1 million pounds (1.7 million dollars) at auction in London, auction house Bonham's said Friday.

The carp jar, painted in vibrant blue and gold colours, had been estimated to sell for a maximum of 250,000 pounds. It was bought by an English private collector in 1935 for the princely sum of 55 pounds.

Bonham's said the piece was the highlight of its Chinese art sale which yielded a total of 3.2 million pounds.

"The sale saw prices dispel any notion of economic gloom," said Colin Sheaf, head of Asian Art at Bonham's.

"Items like this with impeccable provenance, great rarity and the highest quality always seem to retain their value and in fact grow it over the years," he said.

The jar was created in the reign of the Emperor Jiajing (1522-66 AD), and was first recorded in Europe in 1935, when it was bought at auction by British businessman Reginald Palmer, a leading Chinese porcelain collector. (dpa)