Ancient Chinese encyclopedia sells for over $9M at auction

Two volumes of an encyclopedia from the Ming dynasty in China sold for 1,000 times more than they were listed for at an auction in Paris this week.

The volumes, which sold for more than $9 million at Paris auction house Beaussant Lefevre, are part of the Yongle Dadian, an encyclopedia commissioned by Yongle Emperor Zhu Di that included recipes, the ancestry of emperors, and a diverse collection of literature from centuries ago.