Suddenly, a voice rang out from the crowd. It was Old Qi, the jade dealer, who said, "Yes, let us see." As soon as Old Qi said this, everyone agreed.
"Damn it, they just want me to show off, don't they?"
Zhuang Rui felt a little frustrated. It turned out that all his rambling earlier had been for nothing, and in the end, it all came back to these two pieces of jade.
Zhuang Rui could also guess what Old Qi was thinking. Old Qi just wanted to embarrass himself.
Old Qi, on the other hand, was only famous in Zhengzhou's antique circle for his expertise in identifying jade. The difference in reputation between the two was enormous.
If, at Lao Qi's urging, it turns out that Zhuang Rui was wrong today, it will definitely cause a sensation in Zhengzhou's antique circle, and Lao Qi's reputation will naturally rise accordingly.
What do you call this? This is called climbing over experts to get ahead. Although he updates his Tieba account, his reputation is not as great as Zhuang Rui's. Lao Qi is also riding the wave of the Yangtze River, pushing the old wave over the new, and letting the old wave die on the beach.
"Alright, let's take this friend's good wishes and see what these two objects are..."
Seeing everyone's reaction, Zhuang Rui knew that if he didn't show off a bit today, he wouldn't be able to leave this antique market. Wasn't this forcing him to show off a bit?
Among the onlookers, some were quite perceptive. One of them quickly brought a bowl of water and a small scrubbing brush, placing them on the counter in front of Zhuang Rui. Zhuang Rui didn't say much, simply tossing the two jade pieces into the bowl and rubbing them with his hands to begin washing them. In the blink of an eye, the bowl of clear water turned murky.
Zhuang Rui did not take out the jade piece, so the onlookers could not see what was inside.
"It's jade, it really is jade..."
"It should be jade, but when it was made is hard to say..."
"Yes, newly carved jade objects are worthless..."
"That's right, if you could find a bargain just by randomly touching a couple of items, that would be too amazing, wouldn't it?"
Zhuang Rui held a jade piece in each hand, one thumb and one forefinger, and lifted it from the basin. Everyone's eyes were drawn to Zhuang Rui's hands, where the two pure white jade pieces with a slight bluish tinge were displayed before them.
Everyone could clearly see that these were two curved jade pieces, each about five or six centimeters long and two centimeters wide. They looked quite thick from a distance, but what exactly they were would only be known once they handled them.
"Teacher Zhuang, could you please take a look at this for me...?"
Old Qi in the crowd was stunned for a moment. He didn't expect that the two items Zhuang Rui casually picked out were actually jade. However, at this moment, Old Qi still thought that even if they were jade, they were probably made from scraps of jade.
"No problem, please take a look..."
Zhuang Rui glanced at Lao Qi, but instead of handing over the jade in his hand, he gently placed it on the glass cabinet in front of him. This action stirred the hearts of some of the experts watching.
There are certain rules to handling antiques. For antiques like jade and porcelain, if the owner considers them valuable, they usually place them on the table for others to take themselves when having them appraised, rather than handing them over personally. This is because if something goes wrong, it's difficult to determine responsibility. Zhuang Rui's action of placing the jade pieces on the table, as explained in the Golden Eyes forum update, suggests that Zhuang Rui considers these two items to be very valuable. If they were just cheap trinket from a street stall, he would never have been so careful.
"This...this thing?"
Seeing Zhuang Rui's seriousness, Lao Qi's expression also became solemn. He carefully picked up a jade piece from the counter and examined it closely. Everyone could clearly see a hint of surprise on his face.
"Old Qi, is it ancient jade?"
"They look like two jade fish..."
"Not necessarily, it could be Yu Longsun..."
"Old Qi, hurry up and tell us..."
Zhuang Rui held one jade piece in his hand, while Lao Qi held the other. The onlookers gradually grew impatient and called for Lao Qi to share his insights.
"I can't say for sure about this. It's real jade, and it should be a fairly good quality Hetian jade, but whether it's a modern imitation or antique jade, I can't say. Let's ask Teacher Zhuang to answer that for us..."
Although Lao Qi said he couldn't tell, his eyes betrayed his true feelings. When he handed the jade piece back to Zhuang Rui, the reluctance he showed was so obvious that even a blind man could tell this jade piece was no ordinary item.
Just as everyone expected, although Lao Qi didn't know much about this type of jade piece, judging from the quality and the patina around the edges, it was definitely an ancient jade piece.
Moreover, the slightly yellowish patina and the somewhat rough texture indicate that this item was not unearthed for very long, and at least it has not been collected or handled by anyone.
"Teacher Qi is too modest. This is a very common piece of ancient jade, called a jade dragon. Judging from its shape, it's from the late Yin Dynasty. The jade quality is also quite good. Although it doesn't meet the standard of mutton fat jade, it's still above average Hetian jade..."
Before Zhuang Rui finished speaking, a huge gasp was heard in the room. A piece of ancient jade from the Yin Dynasty made of top-quality Hetian jade would have a market price of at least 300,000 yuan. This is an incredible bargain!
"Teacher Zhuang...Teacher Zhuang, you...you're not mistaken?"
Old Li was the one who asked the question. He was filled with mixed feelings. Zhuang Rui's words were like a seasoning, bringing a mix of emotions to his heart.
Zhuang Rui glanced at Lao Li, feeling a little embarrassed. Lao Li had spent 20,000 yuan, and these were the only two valuable items he had picked out.
"Brother Li, you shouldn't be mistaken. Although the carvings of these two jade dragons are simple, their shapes are extremely beautiful. The fish and the dragon are closely related to some of our ancient legends or stories."
According to historical records, as early as the Yangshao culture period of primitive society, there was a legend of jade dragons exchanging objects. However, based on the unearthed artifacts, the objects transformed by the jade dragons only appeared in the Tang Dynasty, and the fish was called the Makara fish.
This Capricorn fish has a fish-like body but horns on its head. As everyone knows, horns have always been considered a characteristic of dragons, so people also call the Capricorn fish a "fish-dragon". The story of the carp leaping over the dragon gate originated from this.
These two fish-dragon jade pieces date back to a period far earlier than the Tang Dynasty. This means that physical artifacts depicting fish-dragon transformations already existed during the Yin and Shang Dynasties. In other words, the appearance of this pair of fish-dragon jade pieces fills a gap in Chinese jade culture for a particular period…
Zhuang Rui's words caused an uproar. The cultural value represented by cultural relics that can fill certain historical gaps far exceeds their intrinsic value.
Chapter 692 Only In, No Out
What is the fun of collecting? It's about culture. The reason why listed antiques are valuable is because they have a clear provenance, they are things that appeared in history, they have their own unique stories and backgrounds, and they can be studied, verified, and deduced.
Imagine the objects you hold in your hands, perhaps once used by a famous historical figure. That feeling would definitely make you feel elated, though outsiders can't understand it.
The same two items, if used by Emperor Qianlong, would certainly be more valuable than those used by ordinary people.
As mentioned earlier, there was a story about a young man who applied for a job at an antique shop. He brought a broken piece of wood and claimed it was Emperor Qianlong's toothpick. The shopkeeper immediately hired him. Although this is a joke, it also illustrates the importance of inheritance.
Although there is no record of the fish-dragon in Zhuang Rui's possession, if it is indeed an ancient jade transformed from a fish-dragon from the Yin-Shang period, as he claims, then its value is probably not just a matter of hundreds of thousands.
Just as everyone was still processing Zhuang Rui's words, Zhuang Rui continued, "As everyone knows, there was no such thing as a carp leaping over the dragon gate during the Yin and Shang dynasties. However, these two objects prove that in that era, there was a story of a fish transforming into a dragon, which carries the auspicious meaning of rising to the top in one step and being promoted in no time."
In my personal opinion, these things are closely related to the history and culture of that time. As you can see, the shape of this dragon-shaped jade is very similar to the character for dragon in oracle bone script.
Therefore, I assert that these two fish-dragon jade pieces are cultural artifacts from the Yin-Shang period, or more precisely, typical cultural representatives of the late Shang Dynasty.
The discovery of these two jade pieces can supplement the existing knowledge of artifacts unearthed from the Yin-Shang culture, and their cultural value is extremely high..."
In Zhuang Rui's eyes, although these two pieces of jade had not been polished, the rich purple-gold spiritual energy inside was comparable to that of the "Dingguang Sword," and their ages should be similar.
And indeed, as Zhuang Rui said, the value of these two pieces of jade lies not in the jade itself, but in the cultural background they embody. This is precisely why Zhuang Rui values these two pieces of jade.
Once the collection of ancient jade grows larger in the future, these two pieces of jade will definitely become treasures of the jade museum, along with the Western Han Dynasty "White Jade Tiger".
"I've learned so much today, I've really learned something new..."
"That's right, to be able to glean so much knowledge from a single piece of jade, Professor Zhuang truly deserves his reputation as an expert who has appeared on CCTV..."
"This is just good luck, damn it, why don't I have this kind of luck..."
"You? Weren't you the loudest one jeering just now?"
"Old Qi, how about it? Are you convinced now?"
"Teacher Zhuang, could you tell me how much these two pieces of jade are worth?"
There were all sorts of things being said in the crowd, and finally someone asked Zhuang Rui about the price. Most of the people present were jade sellers, as well as some regular customers who came to Taobao. They immediately perked up their ears, wanting to hear Zhuang Rui's price quote.
Although the value of an object cannot be measured entirely in monetary terms, money is always the most direct way to measure the value of an object.
If these two pieces of fish-dragon jade are only worth ten or eight yuan, then let alone ancient jade from the Yin and Shang dynasties, even if it were worn by the Yellow Emperor, probably no one would give them a second glance. This is the market theory.
"Hehe, we're all in the know. If we're just pricing this thing based on its jade quality and age, it should be around 200,000 yuan. It might go up a bit more at auction. But as everyone knows, antiques are a matter of personal taste. If someone really likes it, they might offer a much higher price..."
Wow, it's so tall!
"You don't know anything, Teacher Zhuang is just underestimating the situation..."
"Yeah, if this were to go to auction, you wouldn't even dream of it without a million..."
"Old Li has suffered a huge loss this time; he's given away the treasure he had just gotten his hands on..."
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's offer, the crowd began to discuss it. Some tourists who were simply there exclaimed in amazement, only to be dismissed by some experts. Perhaps Zhuang Rui's words would inspire many more people to enter the antique business.
As for Old Li, the original owner of these two items, he was ashen-faced. He couldn't believe that out of the seventy or eighty items, he had cleaned forty or fifty of them, so why hadn't he found these two?
The price Zhuang Rui quoted was like a heavy hammer blow to Lao Li's chest. Lao Li couldn't catch his breath and just wanted to shout to vent his frustration.
In fact, Zhuang Rui was quite kind. In order not to hurt Lao Li too much, he had already lowered the price of the two pieces of jade. Even if sold individually, each piece of jade would be worth more than 1 million RMB. However, since the two jade dragons are a pair, their price would increase many times over.
At last year's Hanhai Beijing auction, a fish-dragon jade pendant from the Warring States period, which was not as good as these two in terms of appearance and jade quality, was still auctioned off for a high price of 1.3 million RMB. Not to mention Zhuang Rui's two ancient jade pieces with their unique historical and cultural background.
"Teacher Zhuang, are you selling these two pieces of jade?"
"Yes, Professor Zhuang, if you're willing to sell, I'll offer 300,000 for each piece..."
"Old Wang, trying to take advantage again, aren't you? Three hundred thousand, I'll take as much as you have..."
"Teacher Zhuang, I'll offer 1 million, please spare one for me..."
"Teacher Zhuang, how about two items for 3.5 million? Can I have them?"
Don't be fooled by the unassuming appearance of these stall owners; some of them are quite wealthy. In the blink of an eye, they raised the price to 3.5 million, which is already comparable to the price at auction. Of course, things can change drastically at auction, and the price might go even higher.
However, as soon as the price of 3.5 million was announced, the scene fell silent, and everyone's eyes were focused on the bidder and Zhuang Rui.
"Mr. Zhuang, my surname is Qiao. My family has always loved collecting antique jade, and I'd like to buy some as a gift for my elders. Would you be willing to part with them?"
The man speaking was in his thirties, dressed in a suit and tie despite the hot weather. He spoke very politely and seemed to be a person of status.
Zhuang Rui smiled upon hearing this, carefully handing the two pieces of jade to Peng Fei so he could keep them. Then he said, “Mr. Qiao, friends, I’m truly sorry, but I will not be selling these two items. I’m currently preparing to open an antique museum in Beijing to promote Chinese culture, for friends in the industry and collectors to visit and exchange ideas. I’m currently like a greedy glutton, only taking in and never giving out, and I desperately need these kinds of items. If any of you have anything you no longer want to collect, you can exchange it with me, let’s share what we have…”
Zhuang Rui's words elicited a burst of laughter. Those who had previously looked down on Zhuang Rui because of his age adjusted their attitudes and began to look at him differently.
There are some well-known collectors in this antique market, but compared to Zhuang Rui, they are far inferior. To be able to open a private museum, one needs not only substantial financial resources but also a vast network of connections and relationships in the antique industry.
It can be said that although they are all in the world of collecting, the people in the room are no longer on the same level as Zhuang Rui.
"Teacher Zhuang, I have a jade Pixiu in my home. Would you be interested?"
"Teacher Zhuang, my family has a painting by Huang Tingjian passed down through generations. Could you please take a look at it?"
"Hey, Professor Zhuang, this is something I received a while ago. Could you tell me its provenance?"
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, everyone began to make a fuss. Some asked Zhuang Rui to help them appraise their treasures, while others wanted to sell their items. In an instant, the first floor of the antique market became like a vegetable market, and even the people on the second and third floors were alarmed, with more and more people gathering around.
Zhuang Rui was stunned by the scene. He had only wanted to advertise his museum, which had not yet opened, but he did not expect that it would cause such a stir. Even the tall and strong security guards were having trouble keeping the crowd in check.
"Mr. Zhuang, I am Zhang Li, the manager of this antique market. I am very glad that you could come here, but it is a bit messy here. Can we talk somewhere else?"
Just as Zhuang Rui was getting dizzy from the noise of the people around him, a middle-aged man in his forties squeezed next to him. Although the antique market was well-air-conditioned, the man's forehead was still covered in sweat, and he seemed to be stunned by the scene as well.
"Okay, okay, let's talk somewhere else..."
Seeing that the people in front of him were about to lose control again, Zhuang Rui couldn't bother promoting his museum anymore. Surrounded by several security guards, he headed towards his office.
However, there were just too many people surrounding them, and many of them genuinely wanted Zhuang Rui to appraise the treasure and were unwilling to give in, so even after walking for several minutes, they still couldn't break through the crowd.