A U.K. family recently discovered that a decorative vase in their kitchen is actually a rare Chinese artifact now worth more than a million dollars. On May 18, the 2-foot-tall vase was sold by U.K. auctioneer Dreweatts for £1.2 million (approximately $1.5 million). With its striking spherical shape, the blue-glazed vase is referred to as a “heavenly globe vase” (“tianqiuping” in Chinese) and features gold and silver elements. Its intricate markings reportedly indicate that it was made for the court of the Qianlong Emperor in the 1700s. Mark Newstead, a specialist consultant at Dreweatts for Asian Ceramics and Works of Art, explained to Dreweatts that the clouds, cranes, fans, flutes…