Chapter 390 Court Painting
Zheng Hua sighed. He knew that Niu Hong had really offended Zhuang Rui this time. However, his elders had a very good relationship with the late shipping magnate, so he couldn't help but offer some advice. Who knew that not only would Niu Hong not give him face, but Zhuang Rui, who had always seemed so amiable, would also get really angry and refuse to back down.
"Alright, Ji Yi, come here, let's see how much these things are worth?"
With a large travel bag on his back, Niu Hong rushed into the private gambling room like a gust of wind, put the travel bag on the gambling table, and began to take things out of it.
Niu Hong's action startled Zhuang Rui for a moment, but as he took out the items, Zhuang Rui's eyes widened immediately. A Qing Dynasty silver-bodied enamel painted lion-patterned slender-necked vase? A Ming Dynasty Yongle sweet white glaze peony-patterned plum vase? And they were even a pair? There was also an unopened scroll, which, judging from its appearance, should also be an antique.
"Damn it, such precious things are just put together in a travel bag? If that's true, even a small scratch will greatly diminish their value..."
Zhuang Rui was so angry he almost cursed inwardly. This Niu Hong was just too vulgar. He hadn't even had a chance to use his spiritual energy to distinguish the authenticity of the porcelain, but just looking at Niu Hong's actions, Zhuang Rui wanted nothing more than to beat him up.
Since entering the antique business, Zhuang Rui has cherished these ancestral artifacts with all his heart. You see, these things are irreplaceable; once one is damaged, it's gone forever. If it were Zhuang Rui, he would definitely find a box of similar size, stuff it with shredded paper as filler, and then bring these porcelain pieces out. I never expected that Niu Hong would just stuff the porcelain pieces into a bag so casually. I really don't know what's wrong with his brain.
Zheng Hua gave a wry smile. He hadn't expected Niu Hong to actually bring these things out. He shook his head and turned to walk out the door. He needed to call and urge that person. Only when he came could he control this troublemaker, Niu Hong.
"Young Master Niu, please wait a moment, I'll call the appraiser over..."
Ji Yi took out a walkie-talkie, walked to the door, and called for help.
Casinos generally won't accept valuable antiques as collateral or for direct sale to exchange for chips. However, there are many pawnshops of all sizes in Macau, so you can pawn your items as soon as you leave the casino and get the money to continue gambling.
In all the pawnshops in Macau, there are many unpawned items. If you have a good eye, you can definitely find some good things, such as luxury goods like world-famous watches, which may only cost one-tenth or even less of their original price.
Of course, because so many people from all over the world travel to Macau, there are also some pawnshops of varying quality that specialize in putting counterfeit goods in their unused pawn areas. If you want to find a treasure, you still need to have a good eye.
However, there are no pawn shops on the casino ship, so the casino slightly changed the rules and hired an antique and jewelry appraisal expert. If someone brings out such items to be used as collateral or sold to exchange for chips, the casino ship will accept them, but the price offered will be several cents lower than that of a pawn shop, and the conditions will be very strict.
About five or six minutes later, a thin old man who looked to be in his early sixties walked into the gambling hall. When he saw the two pairs of four porcelain pieces on the gambling table, his eyes lit up. Without waiting for Ji Yi to call him, he quickly walked to the table, picked up the Qing Dynasty silver-bodied enamel painted lion-patterned slender-necked vase, and examined it carefully.
"Mr. Ji, may I take a look at these porcelain pieces?"
While waiting for the appraiser to arrive, Zhuang Rui observed the porcelain pieces from a distance using his spiritual energy. They were indeed genuine, with a rich white spiritual energy that was subtly turning yellow. Based on Zhuang Rui's experience, these were definitely Qing Dynasty official kiln pieces, because if they were from the Ming Dynasty, the spiritual energy would be yellow. He had examined many items and this method was almost always accurate.
The two plum vases that resemble the Ming Yongle sweet white glaze with peony patterns are entirely yellow in color, with a dark purplish hue, making them even more outstanding than the two enamel-painted vases. They are undoubtedly genuine.
However, the porcelain produced by the official kilns during the reigns of Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty was of exceptional quality, and its artistic value and market price were comparable to those of the treasures from the Song and Ming Dynasties.
In terms of market value, Qianlong porcelain is slightly more expensive than Yongle plum vases, because the price of single-glazed porcelain from the Ming Dynasty has never been very high, much lower than that of the Song Dynasty, but in recent years there has been an upward trend.
Upon seeing such an exquisite object, Zhuang Rui was also somewhat tempted and wanted to take it in his hands and play with it for a while.
"this……"
Ji Yi looked at Niu Hong; the item hadn't been sold yet. Niu Hong still owned it, and he had no say in the matter.
Seeing Zhuang Rui's somewhat eager expression, Niu Hong seemed to find a sense of superiority, snorted, and said, "Country bumpkin, see? You're ignorant..."
Zhuang Rui's attention was completely drawn to these exquisite porcelain pieces. Too lazy to argue with Niu Hong, he stepped forward, picked up the remaining silver-bodied enamel painted lion-patterned slender-necked vase, and examined it carefully.
This enamel porcelain vase has a slender neck in the upper half and a spherical shape in the lower half, with a ring foot on the ground. The interior, mouth rim, ring foot rim, and outer bottom of the vase are all unglazed, while the rest is decorated with enamel painting. The neck is decorated with long strips of lotus flowers hanging from them, with three flowers in each group, arranged in an orderly manner.
The spherical section is decorated with a lion playing with a ball, adorned with clouds, creating a lively scene. The neck and shoulders are divided by inverted lotus petal patterns, resulting in a well-balanced composition. The base bears a six-character, three-line, unframed seal script mark reading "Made in the Qianlong Reign of the Great Qing Dynasty," and the shape and enamel decoration are entirely characteristic of Qing Qianlong imperial porcelain.
The porcelain piece is extremely well preserved, without a single scratch or dent. The glaze is bright and the patina is thick. It should be a genuine heirloom that has been appreciated and admired by people throughout history.
Setting aside the enamel porcelain in his hand, Zhuang Rui picked up the Yongle plum vase to admire it. Plum vases, also known as jingping, first appeared in the Tang Dynasty. They were quite popular during the Song and Liao Dynasties. In the Song Dynasty, many plum vases were produced by the common people and could generally be seen in wine shops of all sizes.
After the Ming Dynasty, the shape of the meiping vase changed greatly. The shoulders were particularly full, almost forming a straight line, while the lower part of the waist tapered to a straighter shape. The mouth of the vase was made very narrow, just enough to insert a plum blossom branch, hence the name meiping (plum vase).
This plum vase is a typical example of the Ming Dynasty style, with a full shoulder and a thick lower body. It is covered in white glaze, is in excellent condition, and has a very perfect shape. Zhuang Rui has never seen a plum vase of such quality in any catalogs of Ming and Qing porcelain. It must have been lost overseas a long time ago. It is just unknown how it ended up in the hands of Niu Hong.
What's most remarkable is that these four porcelain pieces are all complete pairs. You have to understand that objects that have been passed down for hundreds of years have gone through countless changes of time and wars. It is already extremely difficult for them to remain in good condition. To be able to find a pair is even more rare. Most of the porcelain sold at auction houses are single pieces, and it is very rare to find a pair.
Many collectors spend enormous amounts of money and energy to complete a pair of their items, but often still fail to achieve this goal. The market price of a pair of rare porcelain pieces is not simply a matter of one plus one equals two; it increases exponentially.
"Huh? What is this ash?"
As Zhuang Rui was admiring the plum vase, he turned it upside down to examine the inscription on the bottom. Ashes spilled from the vase's opening, landing on the red carpet. Zhuang Rui crouched down, rubbed the ash with his hand, and felt it resembled cigarette ash.
"Is this guy going to use this as an ashtray?"
The thought popped into Zhuang Rui's mind. He then turned the plum vase upside down and smelled the mouth of the vase. Sure enough, it smelled of tobacco oil. This discovery made Zhuang Rui both laugh and cry. The stuff was brought by Niu Hong, so this matter was most likely related to him. That guy really was a damn good-for-nothing young master.
After shaking his head and putting down the plum vase, Zhuang Rui picked up the scroll, untied the red string in the middle, and slowly unfolded the painting onto the gambling table. His actions attracted Qin Xuanbing and the others to gather around, but the old man who was looking at the porcelain was still observing the porcelain in his hands and did not pay attention to Zhuang Rui's actions.
"Lang Shining's court paintings?"
When the scroll was fully unrolled, Zhuang Rui was greatly surprised. Although he had previously used his spiritual energy to determine that it was an ancient painting, he had not expected it to be a court oil painting by Giuseppe Castiglione. For a moment, the excitement in his heart surged like the waves of the sea, and he could not calm down for a long time.
Giuseppe Castiglione was not Chinese, but Italian. Born in Milan, he came to China as a Jesuit missionary in the 54th year of the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty. He then entered the palace and became a court painter. He participated in the design of the Western-style buildings in the Yuanmingyuan Garden and served under the Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong emperors. He worked as a painter in China for more than 50 years.
As a foreigner, Giuseppe Castiglione enjoyed the favor of three emperors and held the official rank of a court painter of the third grade, which was unprecedented in Chinese history. His paintings integrated Chinese and Western techniques, creating exquisite and realistic effects and establishing a new style, leaving a significant mark on the history of Chinese painting.
The works of Giuseppe Castiglione are mainly housed in the Palace Museum and the National Palace Museum in Taipei. A few works are also held by the Cleveland Museum in the United States and the Museum of East Asian Art in Berlin, Germany. However, very few of his works are in private hands or overseas, and they are extremely difficult to see except in some major museums.
This oil painting was painted by Giuseppe Castiglione for one of Emperor Qianlong's concubines. The beauty in the painting is dressed in a light-colored palace dress with a wide neckline and flowing sleeves. Her hair is styled in a simple and elegant bun. Her face is like a peach blossom or a snowflake after a sunny day, her eyes are like bright pearls or rippling spring water, her slender waist is so graceful that it seems to be blown away by the wind, and her beauty is captivating with just a touch of makeup.
The painting depicts six concubines, each with a different appearance. Unlike the abstract style of ancient Chinese paintings of court ladies, this painting was created using Western techniques. The women's appearances are lifelike, fully showcasing their charming features, which is extremely rare in the history of ancient Chinese painting.
Zhuang Rui recalled a story he had once heard about Emperor Qianlong, who commissioned Giuseppe Castiglione to paint portraits of thirteen of his concubines and empresses. Qianlong only saw the painting three times: upon its completion, on his 70th birthday, and when he abdicated. He then sealed the painting in a box and decreed that anyone who dared to peek at it would be executed by slow slicing. That painting was the famous "Heartfelt Depiction of Peace and Prosperity," now housed in the Cleveland Museum of Art in the United States. It was lost when the Eight-Nation Alliance entered China.
Zhuang Rui had seen a rubbing of the painting "Heartfelt Dedication to Peace and Prosperity". The 13 women depicted on the scroll were all seated half-length portraits wearing winter auspicious hats and winter dragon robes, and were very well-proportioned.
The painting in front of him depicts a casually dressed man, suggesting it was painted while Emperor Qianlong was enjoying a stroll in the garden with his concubines. In one corner of the painting is the signature "Your subject Lang Shining," confirming it as an authentic work by Lang Shining. However, Zhuang Rui had never seen any record of this painting in any historical documents.
Lang Shining's works with his signature command extremely high prices. Zhuang Rui heard that Lang Shining's "Autumn Forest and Deer" fetched a record price of HK$20 million at auction in Hong Kong last year. The figures in this painting are yet to be verified, and its significance is even greater than that of "Autumn Forest and Deer." If it were to actually be released, it would certainly cause a huge stir in the world of calligraphy and painting collection.
Zhuang Rui's mind raced. When he saw the porcelain pieces, he was at most surprised, but when he saw the painting, his first reaction was to possess it. That's right, he was thinking about how to make this painting his own. You know, this is a national treasure-level cultural relic in the museum. Among the items Zhuang Rui currently collects, none can compare to it in terms of market value alone.
After the painting was unfolded, the old man also leaned over to take a look. Perhaps it was a matter of specialization, but he wasn't very interested in the painting. After just one glance, he turned his attention back to the porcelain vase in his hand.
"Old Ji, have you taken a good look? Hurry up and give us an estimate and the chips!"
Zhuang Rui and the old man each looked at their own things, both of them looking very fond of them. However, Niu Hong, who was waiting on the side, was getting a little impatient. As a gambler who was blinded by gambling, no matter how precious these things were, in Niu Hong's heart, they were not as pleasing to the eye as the chips on the table.
The gaunt old man reluctantly placed the porcelain vase on the table, then pushed up his reading glasses and asked Niu Hong, "Young Master Niu, may I ask the origin of these items of yours?"
The old man's question was in accordance with industry practice. Casinos don't accept stolen goods; otherwise, it would be troublesome if someone came knocking on their door. If this item hadn't been brought by Niu Hong, Ji Yi wouldn't have bothered with him at all. They run a casino, not a pawnshop. Taking it and reselling it would be a hassle. So, although the casino employs an antique appraiser, they accept very few items.
Chapter 391 Sell or not is up to you
"It's none of your business where I got it. As long as I didn't steal or rob it, no one's going to hold you accountable later..."
The origins of Niu Hong's items are indeed legitimate. After the old shipping magnate passed away, he left his old house to Niu Hong, and these antiques were all collected by the old shipping magnate during his lifetime.
To understand why these things appear in casinos, we have to start with Niu Hong. He is considered to have a relatively low level of education among Hong Kong's wealthy circles, but he hates it when people say he is uncultured.
Over the past year, Niu Hong has frequently brought minor Hong Kong celebrities to stay overnight on the gambling ship. In order to appear refined, he would bring some antiques from his villa to the luxury suite he had booked long-term on the gambling ship.
Although Niu Hong was born into a wealthy family, his grandfather, who was a world shipping magnate, was originally a peasant. Niu Hong did not learn his father's skills, but he became very familiar with the ways of the common people and was quite vulgar.
Those porcelain antiques hanging in his luxurious cabin on the gambling ship served no other purpose than to show off his taste to the minor celebrities. Niu Hong, on the other hand, often looked at the painting hanging directly opposite the king-size bed in his bedroom. When he was having sex, looking at the concubines of ancient emperors easily satisfied his perverse desires.
As for the two pairs of porcelain vases, Zhuang Rui guessed correctly. These things sometimes became Mr. Niu's ashtrays. When he took them out just now, Mr. Niu emptied the cigarette butts inside. Zhuang Rui had smelled the odor just now. Otherwise, with a normal person's imagination, it would be impossible to imagine that Mr. Niu would use antiques worth millions as ashtrays.
"Young Master Niu, the origin of these items must be known..."
This appraiser had a somewhat old-fashioned approach, always inquiring about the provenance of items before accepting them. Just then, Zheng Hua returned to the private room and, seeing the appraiser about to press further, quickly intervened, saying, "Mr. Hua, there's no need to ask about the item's origin. Just give me an estimate..."
Zheng Hua knew Niu Hong's wealth. Although he lost nearly HK$100 million today, it wouldn't damage Niu Hong's foundation. Not counting the value of his shares, the dividends Niu Hong had received from those shares over the past ten years amounted to several hundred million Hong Kong dollars, which he just couldn't access for the time being.
Although casinos have many rules, given Niu Hong's wealth and status as a shareholder of the gambling ship, it wouldn't be impossible for him to borrow one or two hundred million from the ship. It's just that Zheng Hua didn't want him to continue gambling, so he used the rules to pressure him. Even Zheng Hua himself didn't expect that he could bring out these things to exchange for chips.
Niu Hong was feeling very frustrated. Should he borrow money from loan sharks? He was afraid that if word got out, it would damage his reputation and also impact the Niu family's business. If others knew that Young Master Niu needed to borrow money from loan sharks to make ends meet, they would definitely associate it with the Niu family. These days, there are quite a few people who would kick someone when they're down.
Although he was willing to pawn or sell these antiques for leverage, he was unwilling to reveal their origins, because these items were left to him by his grandfather. If he were to reveal them, he would be forever branded as a spendthrift.
"The full name of this pair of porcelain pieces is Qing Dynasty Qianlong period silver-bodied enamel painted lion-patterned slender-necked vase. The workmanship is exquisite and the glaze is bright. It should be an official kiln piece from the Qianlong period. If I were to estimate its value, it should be around three million Hong Kong dollars. As for this pair of plum vases, I'm a bit unsure. The style is from the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, but it's hard to say whether they are genuine or not. There is some soot inside, I don't know why."
The appraiser, Master Hua, made Niu Hong blush. He waved his hand and said, "Just tell me how much money you can exchange for chips, don't give me any of that nonsense..."
Niu Hong just wanted to get the chips to make up for his losses with Zhuang Rui. He didn't care about anything else. This is a typical gambler's mentality. Some people who lose so much that they are blinded by greed can even sell their wives and children to get more money to gamble and go back to the casino. This is not a story. These are all real things that have happened.
"I'm not sure about the calligraphy and paintings, and it's hard to say about the pair of Ming Dynasty vases either. So the only thing I can exchange here is this pair of enamel porcelain, and even then, after deducting the beginning and end, it can only be exchanged for two million Hong Kong dollars."
Master Hua thought for a moment and then quoted this price.
"What? Two million? Why don't you just rob someone? My grandfather spent over two million when he bought these vases, and they haven't gone up a penny in the last twenty years, they've actually gone down in value! And this painting, it's worth at least seven or eight million, do you understand? Zheng Hua, your family manages this gambling ship. What kind of appraisers did you hire?"
Upon hearing Master Hua's words, Niu Hong was immediately enraged. In his fury, he disregarded his pride and revealed the origin of the item. Even if Niu Hong was a playboy, he knew that these things were valuable, and he was not willing to sell them for a mere two million.
More importantly, two million is only enough for two rounds of gambling. If you lose two rounds in a row, won't you be out of money to win back your losses? So Niu Hong pointed the finger at Zheng Hua, and even went so far as to use his status as a shareholder of the gambling ship to argue his case.
Zhuang Rui, listening from the side, couldn't help but laugh. Terms like "cutting off the beginning and end" were jargon used in pawnshops in the past or in modern pawn shops. It seemed that this Master Hua must have worked in a pawn shop before. He was really pushing the price down. If those Qianlong porcelain vases were auctioned, they would definitely fetch no less than eight million, but he only offered two million.
"Young Master Niu, this is all I value for it. If you're not satisfied, please find someone else..."
Zhuang Rui guessed correctly. Master Hua was indeed a clerk poached from a pawnshop in Macau by the gambling ship. And judging from his appearance, he was quite temperamental. This was not surprising, as people who went to pawnshops were usually in trouble. Whether you pawned or not, these clerks would not give you a good look.
Niu Hong was actually starting to regret his actions. Qin Xuanbing was clearly not his type, so why did he always pick on Zhuang Rui? Now he was in this embarrassing situation, not only was he humiliated, but he was also being bullied by the pawnshop owner. Niu Hong was both angry and resentful, his face turning pale and then red, looking extremely awkward.
"If Young Master Niu wants to sell these items, I'm willing to buy them..."
Zhuang Rui's voice suddenly rang out in the gambling hall, drawing everyone's attention.
Although Niu Hong and Zhuang Rui didn't get along, he needed money right now. So he turned his head and looked at Zhuang Rui sideways, saying, "You? How much money can you offer?"
With Niu Dashao's taste, he couldn't see any artistic value in these porcelain shards and broken paper.
Zhuang Rui held up one finger and shook it at Niu Hong, saying, "Two pairs of vases and a scroll painting, I'll give you ten million Hong Kong dollars. Whether you take it or not is up to you..."
To be honest, the total value of these four porcelain vases and one court painting by Giuseppe Castiglione should be at least HK$30 million. Zhuang Rui's offer was somewhat opportunistic, but compared to Master Hua, Zhuang Rui was quite generous.
After Zhuang Rui finished speaking to Niu Hong, he turned to Zheng Hua and asked, "Brother Zheng, am I breaking the casino's rules by doing this?"
"It's alright, this is between you and Niu Hong. You can discuss it yourselves and it'll be fine. I can even act as a notary for you..."
Zheng Hua smiled. There were plenty of loan sharks, big and small, in the casino, and the casino didn't interfere. If he took the lion's share and didn't share the spoils, that would be breaking the rules. Besides, he really didn't want to take over Niu Hong's belongings, to avoid making things awkward for everyone later.
Now it was up to Young Master Niu to make a decision. Although there was an eight million difference between two million and ten million, Young Master Niu knew in his heart that the value of these things was far more than ten million Hong Kong dollars. However, circumstances were beyond his control. If he could wait to return to Hong Kong to get the money, he would not have put the things out to sell.
Young Master Niu was afraid that as soon as he left, Zhuang Rui would sneak back to the mainland, leaving him with no chance to make a comeback.
"Okay, ten million it is!"
After considering it for a while, Niu Hong nodded heavily. In any case, these things were worthless in his eyes. They were too small to even be used as ashtrays, and he might accidentally break them one day. He might as well exchange them for ten million and gamble with Zhuang Rui again. Maybe this ten million would be the opportunity for him to win back his old capital. Although Young Master Niu was rich, he was not rich enough to be able to lose nearly one hundred million yuan in an afternoon without changing his expression.
Zhuang Rui had Zheng Hua have two copies of the transfer agreement printed. He signed his name first and then handed the agreement to Niu Hong.
After Niu Hong signed the contract, Zhuang Rui didn't rush to start the game. Instead, he threw out a 5,000 yuan chip to the waiter and asked him to find some appropriately sized cardboard boxes and scraps of paper to carefully store the four pieces of porcelain. Only then did he sit down at the gambling table. Niu Hong, who had been waiting impatiently, directly asked Ji Yi to start the game.