That dusty old thing? $5.9 million

An 18th century Chinese vase that had been gathering dust in the bottom of a wardrobe was sold Wednesday for 2.8 million pounds ($5.9 million), Sotheby’s auction house said.

The blue-and-white “dragon vase” from the Qing dynasty was discovered by chance when its owner, an unidentified Swiss woman, remarked to Sotheby’s expert Alastair Gibson that she thought she owned a vase similar to one on display at a London exhibition.

“Her description of it piqued . . . Gibson’s interest and he asked if he could take a look,” the auctioneers said. Gibson visited the woman’s home earlier this year and saw a piece almost identical to the one at the exhibition and later established that the two were closely related.