AN UNUSUAL Chinese wine pot found perched on a window sill could sell for as much as £100,000 when it comes up for auction next week.

The pot or ewer was regarded by its owners as a bit of fun' and was discovered by auctioneers from Duke's of Dorchester during a routine evaluation.

The colourful artefact has turned out to be an extremely rare Chinese imperial wine pot dating from the reign of the Chinese Emporer Qianlong (1736-1795). Similar pieces have sold for £100,000.

Guy Schwinge of Duke's said the owners, who were in the process of selling their house on the outskirts of Dorchester, were surprised when he commented on the pot, which was delicately balanced on a narrow window ledge.

The owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: "We thought the pot was colourful, but we really didn't think it was of any value. Besides, another valuer saw it 10 years ago and said it was worthless."

Mr Schwinge said: "This ceremonial wine ewer belongs to a special category of official wares produced for the mainly Buddhist altars in the palaces and temples of Peking and Chengde, the court's summer retreat in the hills north of Peking.

"The style of the ewer suggests that it was used on a Buddhist altar of the Tibetan-inspired Lamaist sect, which delighted in exotic decorations incorporating monsters and beaded borders."

The ewer is decorated with the Eight Buddhist Emblems interspersed with lotus flowers, scrolls and a fanged monster at the junction of the body with the scrolling spout.

"This rare survival is certain to attract interest on a global scale," said Mr Schwinge.

"Collectors of Chinese porcelain are particularly attracted to pieces termed mark and period' - this simply means that they bear the mark of the reign in which they were produced.

"It is interesting to speculate how this important piece of Chinese art made its way from the Palace of the Chinese Emperor to a house deep in the Dorset countryside, but such discoveries are not unusual for Duke's.

"Dorset is a rich hunting ground for art treasures and only last autumn Duke's sold a tiny Chinese saucer of the same period to a buyer from Hong Kong for £40,000."

The ewer carries a pre-sale estimate of £20,000 to £40,000, but similar pieces have sold for up to £100,000.