On Saturday before Asia Week in New York, Freeman’s auction house in Philadelphia held its own Asian sale including this Ming-style Qianlong vase that was match to one that sold at Sotheby’s in 2008 for $750,000.

Freeman’s vase nearly doubled that. All the action took place in the room, according to Zoe Hillenmeyer speaking for Freeman’s to the Philadelphia Enquirer:

She declined to identify the buyer but said he had been in the room at the time of the sale. The auction house was packed beyond its 60 seats, Hillenmeyer said, with 20 or more individuals standing, all 15 phone lines busy and an additional 70 or 80 people bidding via the web.

Ming-style Vase is Auctioned for $1.38m (Philly.com)