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A rare Chinese dragon chest fashioned out of a scarce Asian wood has sold for a stunning £143,000.

The intricate box is made from the very expensive commodity zitan, a purplish-black, fine-grained timber and is detailed with powerful dynastic depictions of the five-clawed dragon amidst clouds and phoenixes, the symbol of the emperor and empress.

The highly sought-after material preferred over natural wood in imperial workshops was highly controlled during the early Qing period after most of the native species had been exhausted during the Ming dynasty.