A huge cargo of 18th-century Chinese porcelain that lay forgotten on the bed of the South China Sea for almost 300 years will surface on the open market next year.

The 76,000 pieces of fine blue and white china, which had been destined for Europe, date from about 1725. The collection, recovered by the Vietnamese Government, is expected to make more than £1.5million when it is auctioned by Sotheby’s.

The Vietnamese will invest the proceeds in further salvage operations and museums for any items that it keeps.

Sotheby’s is exhibiting some of the treasures from today until Tuesday. They will be sold in Amsterdam on January 30 and 31.

The huge range of objects includes fine tea services, boxes, beer mugs and ewers shaped like monkeys.

Pieces bearing the mark of Emperor Yongzheng — who reigned for only 14 years — show that the junk on which they were being transported sank between 1723 and 1736. Fire is believed to have been the cause.

Marcus Linell, a senior director at Sotheby’s, said: “Despite this dramatic history, and a subsequent 280 years on the seabed, the condition of the pieces is remarkably good — a consequence, no doubt, of their inherent quality.”

Most of the china was made at the kilns of Jingdezhen, the city associated with the finest Chinese porcelain.

The hoard was discovered off the coast of Vietnam, near the Mekong river delta, after some pieces became tangled in fishermen’s nets. The Vietnamese Government swiftly mounted an operation to recover the cargo from the seabed, 65m (215ft) down, and from the fishermen, who had by then managed to haul up thousands of the pieces. Owing to adverse weather, strong currents and technical problems, the process took two years.

The sunken boat is believed to have been on its way from Canton (now Guangzhou) to Batavia (Jakarta). It would have been sold there and shipped onwards. Canton serviced English, Dutch, Scandinavian, French and Armenian traders, as well as the vast numbers of Chinese junks that ferried trade goods to ports in the South China Sea.

Mr Linell said: “From the shapes and patterns of the pieces found on board, it is clear that the porcelain was destined for Europe.

“European motifs recur, including a number of charming depictions of European landscapes peopled with figures in European dress. Some of the landscapes are almost identifiable, reminiscent of the Dutch town of Scheveningen and Gothenburg, in Sweden.

“Similarly, European shapes are clearly evident in pieces such as the porcelain beer mugs found on board.”

However, he said, the overwhelming majority of the pieces related to tea-drinking, “the craze for which — together with that for coffee and chocolate — was then sweeping through Europe like wildfire”.

TRADE SECRETS OF THE TANG DYNASTY

The most expensive item was a Yuan dynasty jar from the 14th century. It sold for £15 million in London last year. The second-highest price was paid for a 15cm vase from the reign of the Emperor Qianlong. It fetched £8.4 million in Hong Kong

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