Yet again, the desire of super-rich Chinese collectors to own the finest pieces led to an extraordinary sale - this time breaking the World Record price for a piece of Song Dynasty porcelain.

And by breaking we mean smashing - the previous record of HK$67.52M (US$8.69m) was more than tripled as the innocuous-looking bowl sold for a remarkable HK$208m (US$26.7m).

The sale made headlines around the world, and further demonstrated the strength of traditional Chinese Art which continues to drive the international auction markets in 2012.