When you think of old Chinese pottery, you often think of ornate designs with flowers, fish and dragons. So you may be in for a surprise when you see what Christie's in London is auctioning off. On Tuesday, the largest remaining private collections of Chinese ceramics will go under the hammer.

Most pieces of the collection are primarily monochrome. Some of them date all the way back to the fourteenth century. This rare private collection of Chinese ceramics was owned by a British chemist and physicist who researched the make up of Chinese ceramic glazes. Visitors at the preview were taken back by the very modern appearance of many of these pieces.

Desmond Healey, head of Chinese Department at Christie's, said, "They are single glazed pieces, but they are very rich and colorful. But I think because of that they seem timeless and not necessarily reflective of a specific period. I think also that because the Chinese were well advanced in the production of many things, including ceramics, we copied them in the West at a later date."

The total revenue of the sales is expected to run into the millions. The auction marks one of the highlights of a series of Asian Art at Christie's during 2004.

(CCTV.com June 9, 2004)