A couple were left stunned after a cup tucked away in their garage turned out to be an antique Chinese treasure from the Qing Dynasty worth thousands.

The rare, centuries-old libation cup was identified by an antiques expert called to the home in England to assess items for potential consignment.

It turned out to be a mystical Chinese antique made of rhinoceros horn believed to detect poison and hold aphrodisiac qualities for users 350 years ago.

The couple in the Cotswolds are now placing the ornate late 17th-century mug up for auction on November 30.

Charles Hansons, the star of TV's Bargain Hunt and Antiques Road Trip, said he had completed his visit and was sitting in his car, about to drive off with a wave, when the couple asked if they could show him one more thing.

"They disappeared into the garage. What was placed into my hands was a magical find. I instantly recognized it as a rare Chinese object dating back to the late 17th or early 18th century.

"It was beautifully carved out of rhinoceros horn and displayed intricate detail."

The handle features sinuous Chilong dragons, one peering over the interior rim.

"Another playful  dragon is carved on the opposing lip.

"Rhinoceros horn libation cups were used for communal drinking at important ceremonial occasions in Chinese scholarly circles.

"They were considered magical objects. In ancient China, Daoists believed the horn would change colors to alert a drinker to the presence of poison."

This cup was inherited by the client's grandfather.

Charles said rhinoceros horn was considered one of ‘Eight Precious' symbols representing good luck and prosperity in Chinese mythology.

"By the Tang dynasty (AD 618-806) it was being carved into drinking containers used at ceremonies honoring ancestors and given to scholars who were successful in examinations.

The trade and transportation of rhinoceros horn carvings that are antiques is regulated by law, however, they are permitted to be sold if for purely artistic intentions.

Chinese law states that any item sold for over $100 per gram is automatically granted work-of-art status and therefore be allowed to return to China if buyers wish to repatriate it back to its home country.

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