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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;JayBee, post: 516274, member: 9259&quot;]This was sold for YUAN RMB 180, whenever it was bought. The lacquer seal was used in China by the Cultural Relics Bureau, and affixed to any and all pieces that were considered &quot;exportable antiques,&quot; i.e., that could cross borders. They were sold in authorized dealers and stores (Friendship Stores, places like Liu Li Chang (in Beijing) the &quot;antiques street,&quot; etc. This one was checked and approved by the relevant equivalent department in Guang Dong (Canton.)&nbsp; The characters describe it as (roughly) &quot;Small colored/decorated vase --- Cai Xiao Ping.)&nbsp; Originally, the piece, lacquer seal and receipt had to be kept together for one to cross the border and get it through customs, and receipts and lacquer seals did not expire.&nbsp; When I left China, I found out that (as usual, they do whatever hey want,) the Chinese authorities had decided that receipts and &quot;export permits&quot; were valid for 6 months only.&nbsp; So... many pieces I had bought under an official contract/permit to be exported, had to be left behind, because they no longer honored the sales contract.&nbsp; More, anything imported into China these last few years, that is considered an antique, regardless of being Chinese or not, and regardless of where it was bought, can no longer leave China.&nbsp; Some of my books, dated back to the late 1700s, early 1800s, were confiscated at the customs.&nbsp; They could not care less if I had bought them in France, Japan, UK, etc., if they are antiques (anything older then 75-125 years, or whatever they decide,) is automatically barred from leaving China. I have boxes that entered, were declared, were sealed by the customs, and left unopened for 20 years, and that I was told could leave China if I never opened them, that I had to leave behind. etc. etc. etc.</p><p>(I better stop ranting or I won&#039;t ever stop...)[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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