UPDATE: Record-breaking sale of Quianlong fish vase was the "product of a perfect storm of new money, national pride, and unique historical cachet"

LONDON. This blog previously reported the staggering $85.9m sale of a Qianlong-era fish vase at Bainbridges auction house in London. Now Art Info has an interesting article on the "7 reasons why a gaudy fish vase broke a world record for Chinese Art." The last paragraph considers the alternative of "market juicing" as the reason behind the high price tag: "perhaps (goes the theory) there was collusion by interested parties in China -- auction houses or others -- who aimed to boost the market in advance of the auction season which is just about to begin in China... "If it was really a patriotic act, what's the point in boosting the price? Fifty times higher than the estimate smells more like they were cooking the price than fighting for a piece of artwork they like.""