Sotheby’s Asia deputy chairman Nicolas Chow displays a “Fish Pond” lobed bowl of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) during a press conference of the auctioneer’s spring sale in Hong Kong yesterday. The bowl was auctioned for HK$229 million (US$29.5 million) yesterday, setting the second-highest record for Ming porcelain. Made in the Xuande Period (1426-1435), the bowl has been preserved in extraordinary condition and considered to be a great example of early Ming blue-and-white porcelain in private hands. The current world auction record for Ming porcelain is held by the Meiyintang Chenghua (1465-1487) “Chicken Cup,” which was sold for HK$281.24 million April 8, 2014. (Story on P4)Xinhua