The vessel dates to the Western Zhou (1027-771 BC) period and is one of only seven suchvessels known to exist. It was rediscovered in the attic of a bungalow in Kent by the dealer Alastair Gibson who is the auction house’s consultant in Chinese art. There were three other Chinese bronzes found with the vessel in question, though no word on whether those will be up for sale soon as well. The items were brought back from China by Royal Marines Captain Harry Lewis Evans who was present at the looting of the emperor’s Summer Palace in Beijing by British and French forces during the second Opium War. There has been large public outcry against the sale of this vessel, with the Chinese government asking for a boycott against sales of culturally significant material acquired under "illicit" means.