Global InformationMin fanglei information
| Min fanglei | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Material | Bronze |
| Height | 88 cm |
| Created | c. 1100 BC |
| Discovered | 1919 Hunan, China |
| Discovered by | Ai Qingyan |
| Present location | Changsha, Hunan, China |
The Min fanglei (Chinese: 皿方罍; pinyin: Mǐn fāngléi) is an ancient Chinese bronze lei vessel from the late Shang dynasty or early Western Zhou dynasty (12th – 11th century BC). It is one of the largest of its kind, and called the "King of Fanglei". After its accidental discovery in 1919 in Hunan, its lid remained in China but the body was sold to collectors overseas, and set a world-record auction price for an Asian art work in 2001 when it fetched US $9.24 million. In 2014, a group of Chinese collectors bought it for a price between US $20 and 30 million, and donated it to the Hunan Museum, where it was reunited with its lid.