PARIS (AFP) - An 18th-century Chinese imperial seal sold for 21 million euros (S$32 million) in Paris on Wednesday (Dec 14) - more than 20 times its estimate, the Drouot auction house said.

The extremely rare seal in nephrite jade from the Qianlong period (1736-1795) had been expected to go for around 500,000 euros.

But after intense bidding it finally went to an unnamed Chinese collector.