As Zhuang Rui untied the rope binding the shoebox, he struck up a conversation with the middle-aged man. Appraising antiques requires not only examining the items themselves but also understanding the person and their provenance. Otherwise, you might end up with stolen goods or something dug up from the ground. Encountering such things in private is fine, but it's inappropriate in this setting.
"Professor Zhuang, my surname is Yang. My family has been running an antique shop for generations, but during the Cultural Revolution, when they destroyed the Four Olds, all those things were destroyed, leaving only this one item. My elders passed away early and didn't explain what it was. I'm just an ordinary laid-off worker, and I don't usually see experts like you. I would like to take this opportunity to ask Professor Zhuang to help me take a look and see if it is an antique and how much it is worth?"
The middle-aged man surnamed Yang was somewhat reserved. He recounted his family history, clasping his hands together to show his nervousness. The glory of his ancestors was long gone. Now, he was not doing well; his wife and children relied on his small business to make a living.
Mr. Yang was unaware of this folk treasure appraisal program until he saw it on the news yesterday. He decided to try his luck today, thinking that even if the old items left at home could only fetch 30,000 to 50,000 yuan, it would still cover his child's college tuition.
"Hehe, Mr. Yang, please have a seat. Although I don't know much about bronzes, these kinds of antiques, as long as they're genuine, are incredibly valuable. Please don't rush, let me take a look first..."
To be honest, Zhuang Rui didn't really believe what the middle-aged man was saying. It wasn't because he lacked compassion, but because the antique business was full of stories. Not to mention laid-off workers, there were even stories about wives being paralyzed and children having mental illnesses. Zhuang Rui had heard many of these kinds of stories when he worked at the pawnshop.
So no matter how much you say, it's all just fluff. The truth can't be hidden, and falsehood can't be made true. You still have to see the whole thing before you say anything.
After untying the rope, Zhuang Rui reached out and lifted the shoebox. A small three-legged cauldron with green patina came into view, making Zhuang Rui's eyes light up immediately.
This is a bronze gui vessel with three legs, resembling a tripod, dating from the Warring States period. The vessel is dignified and imposing, with three strong and upright animal legs. The coiled dragon patterns on the body are clear, smooth, and three-dimensional, while the animal motifs on the legs are simple and vivid. Red spots and green patina are naturally integrated into the body, indicating it was made using the clay mold method, with clear mold lines.
The ding is one of the most important types of bronze vessels. It is a vessel used for cooking and storing meat. For more than two thousand years, from the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties to the Qin and Han dynasties, the ding has been the most common and mysterious ritual vessel.
Generally speaking, there are two types of tripods: round tripods with three legs and square tripods with four legs. They can also be divided into those with lids and those without lids. They have always been regarded as important national treasures and symbols of the state and power. Legend has it that after Yu the Great established the Xia Dynasty, he used the gold from the tribute of the nine provinces to cast nine tripods, symbolizing the nine provinces. This shows the importance of tripods in the hearts of ancient emperors.
This bronze ding vessel, including the body and lid, is a complete set of gui vessels, which is extremely rare. It should be noted that bronze ding vessels from the Warring States period were rarely small, meaning that most ding vessels did not have lids. Furthermore, even if such vessels existed, after thousands of years, the lid would have long since separated, and they would be scattered. Those that are preserved so completely are extremely rare.
Zhuang Rui took the cauldron out of the shoebox, held it in his hands, touched the cold body of the cauldron, and felt the texture left by the coiled dragon patterns as they ran across his fingertips. Even without using his spiritual energy, Zhuang Rui could almost be certain that this was a genuine bronze cauldron from the Warring States period.
At the point where the three animal legs of the bronze ding connect to the body of the ding, there is an animal head. Although it is only carved with a few strokes, it clearly reveals the expression of the fierce beast and is made to look lifelike.
Perhaps due to frequent handling and caressing, the patina on this bronze cauldron is very thick, showing no signs of being faked. Furthermore, the red and green rust spots on the cauldron seem to have seeped into the vessel itself, appearing as if they were naturally formed, creating a harmonious effect that made Zhuang Rui reluctant to put it down for a long time.
I took the tape measure and measured it. This small three-legged bronze tripod is 23 centimeters high and the largest diameter of the round belly in the middle is 27 centimeters. When I held it in my hand to observe it, it had a very strong three-dimensional effect.
"Teacher Liu, please put down what you're holding for a moment. I think our third treasure for today is about to be revealed."
Before greeting Teacher Liu, Zhuang Rui deliberately used his spiritual energy to enter the bronze cauldron. The purplish-gold spiritual energy inside indicated that it was indeed a bronze cauldron from the Warring States period. This was because Zhuang Rui had seen antiques from the Qin and Han dynasties, and the spiritual energy inside them was only purple, without any signs of gold.
Besides the Liangzhu jade artifact, this was the second antique Zhuang Rui had seen that contained golden spiritual energy. From these two objects, Zhuang Rui sensed that the purple spiritual energy in his eyes seemed to have the potential to evolve further, but such things are rare and cannot be sought after, so Zhuang Rui didn't take it too seriously.
"Xiao Zhuang, what good stuff have you found? You've seen all the treasures in Jinan."
The first person to arrive wasn't Teacher Liu, but Fatty Jin, the chubby successor of a master of Chinese studies. He was very approachable and kind, and had been getting along extremely well with Zhuang Rui these past two days, often cracking harmless jokes.
“Teacher Jin, the painting by Shen Zhou that you chose is much more valuable than Liangzhu jade. I think you should be awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of Jinan.”
Zhuang Rui believed that this bronze cauldron could definitely be one of the three most important treasures of this event, so he happily joked with Fatty Jin.
"Teacher Zhuang...you say this thing is real?"
The middle-aged man who hadn't sat down and whose eyes were fixed on Zhuang Rui rushed to the table after hearing Zhuang Rui's words and nervously asked Zhuang Rui.
"It's true, Mr. Yang. Please don't get excited. Sit down first, and let Teacher Liu take a look. Then, Mr. Qian will assess the most appropriate market price for you..."
Zhuang Rui now believed what the middle-aged man said. He knew that the man might be in some financial straits and could understand his feelings. Anyone would be so excited if they suddenly received such a fortune when they were poor.
The middle-aged man ultimately did not sit down, but nervously watched from across the table as Zhuang Rui handed the bronze cauldron to Teacher Liu. When Teacher Liu examined it with a magnifying glass, even the slightest raised eyebrow made the middle-aged man's heart race.
"Indeed, it is a genuine Warring States period bronze ding (a type of ancient Chinese cooking vessel). Congratulations, sir."
Teacher Liu's words were like heavenly music, making the middle-aged man's lips tremble with excitement, but he couldn't utter a single word.
Chapter 321 Folk Treasure Appraisal (10)
"Teacher Liu, could you please introduce some knowledge about bronze tripods to the audience?"
Liu Jia, microphone in hand, squeezed into the middle of the experts. As a live program, interaction between the host and experts is crucial, and Liu Jia timed it perfectly.
"Of course, the ancient ding was originally a cooking vessel, equivalent to a pot today, used for stewing and holding fish and meat. The earliest ding was a pottery ding made of clay, and later bronze ding were cast.
Legend has it that Yu the Great collected metal from the nine provinces and cast nine tripods at the foot of Mount Jing to symbolize the nine provinces. He also engraved images of demons and monsters on them to warn people to be wary of being harmed by them. Since the legend of Yu casting the nine tripods came about, the tripod has evolved from an ordinary cooking utensil to a national treasure.
The ding (a type of ancient Chinese bronze vessel) is a representative of my country's bronze culture. It is a testament to civilization and a carrier of culture. According to the legend of Yu casting nine ding, it can be inferred that my country had bronze smelting and casting technology more than 4,000 years ago. The large bronze ding excavated from the ground in the Shang Dynasty proves that my country's Shang Dynasty was already a highly developed bronze age.
The "Simuwu" bronze ding, housed in the National Museum of Chinese History, is a bronze ding from the late Shang Dynasty. It is rectangular with four legs, stands 133 centimeters tall, and weighs 875 kilograms. It is the largest existing Shang Dynasty bronze vessel. The ding has the three characters "Simuwu" inside its belly, indicating that it was cast by the Shang king to commemorate his mother, Wu. It is truly a priceless treasure.
Because the inscriptions on bronze ding vessels often record the institutions and systems of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, as well as historical events such as investiture, sacrifices, and wars, and because they transmitted the large seal script of the Western Zhou period to later generations, forming a highly aesthetic art of bronze inscription calligraphy, the ding vessels are even more valuable and have become more important historical artifacts than other bronzes.
Teacher Liu's words were profound yet simple, explaining the history and value of the bronze tripod in clear and concise language. The audience listened with great interest, and thunderous applause followed as soon as he finished speaking.
Zhuang Rui had already sat back down at his desk. Teacher Liu's words had deepened his understanding of bronzes, and he was thinking about collecting a few pieces to display at home. Although these things were from a long time ago, they were easier to preserve than ceramics, paintings, or other antiques, so there should be quite a few of them.
"Teacher Liu, what is the origin of this bronze tripod? How much is it worth?"
Liu Jia's question was one that everyone present wanted to know, especially how much it was worth. Broadly speaking, the value of antiques is directly reflected in their market value.
"This is a typical bronze ding from the Warring States period. It has lost its original meaning as a ding and has become a ritual vessel for home display and use. In terms of market value, bronze dings from the Warring States period are much lower than those from the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties. However, this bronze ding has a simple and elegant shape, is well-preserved, and has a thick patina, so it is still quite valuable. As for how much it is worth, let Mr. Qian from our Kyoto Auction House tell you."
After Mr. Liu finished speaking, he handed the bronze tripod in his hand to Mr. Qian, who was standing next to him. Without a physical reference, he really didn't dare to make a random estimate of the price of this item, so he decided to leave it to the professionals.
After receiving the bronze tripod, General Manager Qian gave a wry smile and said, "Teacher Liu, you've really put me in a difficult position with this object..."
"What's wrong, Teacher Qian? Isn't this thing worth anything?"
The owner of the bronze tripod grew anxious when he saw the two experts trying to pass the buck while discussing the price.
Mr. Qian smiled and shook his head, saying, "No, it's just that bronzes are protected by the national cultural relics department and are not allowed to be traded or auctioned on the market at will. The very few bronze auctions held each year are based on the relevant departments' implementation of the Cultural Relics Law. Only bronzes unearthed before 1949 and with clear records can be auctioned."
As a result, the number of items auctioned is small and the sales rate is low. Moreover, the prices fluctuate greatly. However, due to the domestic cultural relics department's policy of not opening up and strengthening supervision of bronzes, the international market has reacted strongly to the auction of Chinese bronzes, with high prices frequently appearing.
In 2001, at a Christie's auction in New York, the Shang Dynasty bronze vessel "Min Tian Quan Fang Lei" fetched a record-breaking $9.24 million, becoming a legend in the history of bronze auctions.
Mr. Qian, a seasoned professional in the auction world, was intimately familiar with the trading of various precious antiques both domestically and internationally. After casually introducing the market conditions for bronzes, he pointed to the three-legged bronze ding and said, "This Warring States period three-legged bronze vessel is robust and imposing, with fierce and mysterious decorations and deep, prominent carvings. It is one of the most aesthetically valuable bronze artworks from the mature period of Chinese bronze art. Although there is no clear historical record of it, preventing it from being auctioned, its price should not be less than 600,000 RMB. Of course, this is just my personal opinion."
Mr. Qian's words made the owner's eyes light up for a moment, but then disappointment showed on his face. Although this item was good, it could not be auctioned. He did not know any collectors or enthusiasts. Was he supposed to just keep this item at home? That would mean living in constant fear, which would not be worth it.
"Teacher Qian, then... then would you like to buy this bronze tripod? I'll sell it to you for 600,000..."
Even if it's worth ten million, if you can't get the money, it's just a castle in the air, something you can see but can't touch. Middle-aged people understand this very well: selling it to improve their living conditions is what truly matters.
Another concern for middle-aged people is that this program is going to be broadcast on television. What if someone finds out that they have this item at home and has bad intentions? Wouldn't that be inviting trouble?
"This... I don't play this game..."
Mr. Qian was taken aback by what the owner of the treasure said, then gave a wry smile. If he had spoken to the owner privately, perhaps he would have accepted the item and then found a fellow collector of bronze artifacts to resell it. However, he had just said that this item was not suitable for auction, and if he bought it now, everyone would suspect that he was reselling it, and Mr. Qian couldn't afford to lose face like that.
Seeing that Mr. Qian had no intention of buying, the owner of the treasure became anxious and actually snatched the microphone from Liu Jia's hand, shouting to the audience, "Friends, does anyone want this bronze tripod? I'm willing to sell it!"
After the middle-aged man spoke, the previously noisy audience fell silent. Most of the people who came here today were there to have their artifacts appraised. It wasn't that there weren't wealthy people, but they weren't necessarily collectors of bronze tripods. As the saying goes, every profession has its own secrets, and six or seven hundred thousand yuan is no small sum, so no one dared to take the bait.
Seeing that no one answered, the middle-aged man was somewhat disappointed. He then looked at the experts on the stage and said, "Professor Liu, you are an expert in bronzes. Do you want this item?"
"I really like it, but I don't have the money..."
Upon hearing the owner's words, Teacher Liu's face showed a hint of embarrassment. Although Warring States bronzes were far less valuable than vessels from the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, this particular bronze tripod was a fine example of Warring States bronzes and had great potential for appreciation. Unfortunately, he wanted it but his wallet was too thin.
Some readers might be thinking, "Author, you're making this up. How could a top expert like Professor Liu not afford six or seven hundred thousand? He could get that much even from a bargain on the market."
However, that is the truth. Indeed, appraisal experts usually have some collections, but those items are just displayed at home and are not cash. They are just people who earn a salary and occasionally earn a little extra money. They throw any spare money they have into the antique market. Six or seven hundred thousand is not a small amount for them.
It's fair to say that there are many collectors across the country, but apart from business people who invest in collectibles, the rest are just ordinary people like you and me. It's not like what many people imagine, that all collectors are rich. Perhaps some collectors have items worth millions, but if you ask them to pull out cash, even tens of thousands of yuan would be a challenge for them.
"Mr. Yang, right? The one who tied the knot must untie it. You should sell it to whoever authenticates your treasure."
Seeing the man's conflicted expression, Fatty Jin offered him a suggestion.
"Teacher Zhuang?"
Yesterday's program didn't air the story of Zhuang Rui smashing Tang Sancai (a type of pottery), so the middle-aged man unintentionally overlooked Zhuang Rui. In his opinion, although Zhuang Rui was an expert, he was too young and might not be able to come up with so much money. Therefore, he sought out Liu and Qian but forgot about Zhuang Rui.
Upon hearing Jin Pangzi's words, Zhuang Rui laughed and said, "Teacher Jin, don't tease me. I bought it, it's nothing."
"Teacher Zhuang, are you really going to buy it?"
The middle-aged man was surprised that although Zhuang Rui looked very young, he didn't seem to care about those hundreds of thousands of yuan.
"Hmm, I quite like this item. Since you're willing to sell it, I'll take it. Let's set the price at 600,000 as Mr. Qian suggested. What do you think?"
When Zhuang Rui first saw the bronze cauldron, he felt a connection to it. This bronze artifact must have been unearthed a long time ago. Its surface was smooth from handling and shimmered with the unique luster of bronze. It would indeed be a nice decorative piece for his home.
In addition, the spiritual energy within this bronze artifact made Zhuang Rui want to acquire it and study it slowly to see if he could find a way to further evolve the spiritual energy in his eyes. While mutton-fat jade could be absorbed, there were simply too few of those items available, not enough to cause any further mutation in the spiritual energy in his eyes. Therefore, Zhuang Rui set his sights on the bronze artifact.
"Okay, okay, I'll do as you say, Teacher Zhuang, I'll sell it for 600,000!"
The middle-aged man's hands trembled with excitement. For him, 600,000 yuan was enough to bring about a dramatic change in his family's life. He was filled with immense gratitude towards Zhuang Rui.
Chapter 322 Folk Treasure Appraisal (11)
"Mr. Yang, here is a cash check for 600,000 RMB. Please take it carefully and don't fold it, otherwise you won't be able to cash it..."
Having decided to buy it, Zhuang Rui immediately took out his checkbook, wrote a cash check for 600,000 yuan, then took a copy of "Appreciation of Calligraphy, Painting and Antiques" by Fatty Jin from the table, put the check in the book, and handed it to the middle-aged man's calloused hands.
"Thank you, Teacher Zhuang, thank you, Teacher Zhuang..."
The middle-aged man carefully grasped the book, his eyes already somewhat misty.
With Zhuang Rui's purchase of the Warring States period bronze ding, the folk treasure appraisal event came to a close. After awarding appraisal certificates to many collectors, the host went on stage to announce the successful conclusion of the event.
Lunch was a treat from Jinan TV. After lunch, it was already past 2 p.m. The plan was to visit places like Baotu Spring, but Zhuang Rui and the others decided not to stay in Jinan and instead drive straight back to Beijing. Jinan is close by, so they could visit whenever they wanted.
Zhuang Rui was unaware of this at the time. This private appraisal event had actually established his status in the jade and antique circles. Although it might not necessarily make him an expert, he was recognized by many collectors and was at least somewhat famous in Shandong, Tianjin, and Beijing. This would bring Zhuang Rui many benefits in the future.
When boarding the bus, the staff from Jinan TV gave each of the experts from Beijing and their colleagues a cardboard bag filled with local specialties from Jinan. However, the experts also had a black handbag in their bag, unlike the staff from Beijing TV.
After getting on the bus and sitting down, Zhuang Rui quietly unzipped his handbag and peeked inside. There were five neatly arranged pink RMB bills inside. He guessed that Fatty Jin and the others had also noticed, as they all had smiles on their faces. After all, even experts aren't saints; who wouldn't be happy to see money?
The appraisal session, which lasted half a day yesterday and this morning, took a toll on the experts' physical and mental energy. After a short rest and passing through Langfang, they recovered and began exchanging business cards and contact information.
Actually, it was mainly about exchanging contact information with Zhuang Rui. They were all from Beijing and knew each other very well, and Zhuang Rui's film clips from the Jade Association came in handy.
"Xiao Zhuang, are you free tomorrow? I'll take you for a stroll around Tongzhou..."
Fatty Jin sat in the row behind Zhuang Rui and patted Zhuang Rui's shoulder with a big hand.
"Tomorrow? I really don't have time tomorrow. The house I bought needs to have its blueprints finalized, and I need to oversee the construction in a few days. Teacher Jin, what are you going to Tongzhou for?"
Although he was busy, Zhuang Rui was also curious. Jin Pangzi had a wide network of connections in Beijing, so he might know some good places to go.
"That kid's always either raiding old houses or browsing the black market. Where else could he go? He never keeps the money in his pocket for more than three to five days..."
Old Sun and Fatty Jin were very familiar with each other, and Old Sun wasn't afraid to expose his secrets. These people often bumped into each other in a certain black market. Beijing may seem big, but the circle of antique collectors is not that big.
"There's a black market in Beijing too?"