The old joke ...............whats an Italian urn.

£445,000

John Barratt of Bath inherited in the 1950's from his father Sir Sydney Barratt an urn old urn. He drilled it and put a cable through and made it into a lamp and proudly placed it and the red lamp shade on a table in his hall.
After his death Christies the International Auction House estimated the urn to be worth £10,000. It sold for £370,000 with auctioneers fees it takes the price to £445,000.

If drilled and crack pots did not go to auction ........... then crack pots would not buy.