AKIPRESS.COM - A 1,000-year-old bowl from China's Song Dynasty has sold at auction in Hong Kong for almost US$38m (£28m) - a record for Chinese porcelain, BBC reported.

Sotheby's, the auction house, said the rare Ru-ware brush-washer sold after 20 minutes of tense bidding from a handful of phone bidders, and one in the room.

The little piece measures 13cm (5in) across and is glazed in a blue-green colour.

The bowl's buyer has chosen to remain anonymous.

Bidding began at around $10.2m, and the winning offer - from a phone bidder - was greeted with a round of applause.