LAS VEGAS, July 9 (UPI) -- Wynn Resorts said it paid more than $12.7 million this week for a set of rare Chinese vases from the 1800s that will be displayed at its new resort in Macao.
The Jiaqing period porcelain vases were auctioned by Christie's in London for a price that shattered the world record for ormolu-mounted porcelain, the Las Vegas casino company said in a written statement.
The company said the only similar objects known to exist belong to the British royal family.
"We are delighted to be able to return these extraordinary examples of Chinese culture to the People's Republic of China, and place them on display in the city of Macao, which we are so fortunate to be a part of," said Steve Wynn, chairman and CEO of Wynn Resorts.
The vases will be housed at Wynn's Cotai resort, which opens in 2015, and join the company's collection of Asian art that also includes textiles and other ceramics such as a copper-glazed Ming Dynasty vase.
