Chenghua chicken cup at auction [Photo provided to China Daily]

A doucai "chicken cup" from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) fetched HK$281 million ($36 million) to set a new record for a piece of Chinese porcelain sold at auction.

A telephone bidder won the bidding at Sotheby's spring sale in Hong Kong on Tuesday.

The tiny cup, painted with roosters, hens and chicks, is considered a testament to the porcelain-making quality of the Chenghua reign. It came from the prestigious Meiyintang Collection, and has been owned by many well-known collectors, including Leopold Dreyfus and Giuseppe Eskenazi.

A carved Dingyao basin from the Song Dynasty (AD 960-1279) sold for HK$147 million at the same auction. From the collection of noted Japanese antique dealer Sakamoto Goro, the basin is considered an exemplar of Dingyao ware produced in the Ding kiln in Hebei province, one of five renowned kilns during the Song Dynasty.