Coincidentally, the Tang tri-color pottery piece that Mr. Liu made last time and the two porcelain pieces in front of us were both made by the same person.
Zhuang Rui didn't know what kind of feeling he would have if Boss Liu actually bought these two items and accidentally broke them one day, and then saw the character "Xu" inside.
“Three million, Brother Zhuang, you're a big and wealthy man, you don't care about one or two things, do you? I think you should just give it to me. It's not right for the two of us to be fighting over a toilet…”
The reason why Boss Liu kept raising the price was mainly because after the Tang Sancai was smashed last time, he was completely convinced of Zhuang Rui's abilities and had an almost superstitious faith in Zhuang Rui's appraisal skills.
So when Mr. Liu saw Zhuang Rui call out a price, he immediately realized that these two pieces of porcelain might be very valuable, and that's why he started competing with Zhuang Rui without giving an inch.
If Zhuang Rui knew that Boss Liu had this idea, his expression would be priceless. He had smashed someone else's Tang Sancai pottery, and now he was getting his comeuppance.
"5 million. Regardless of whether the item is genuine or not, the workmanship and condition alone make it worth that price."
Zhuang Rui didn't want to get entangled with that Mr. Liu any longer, so he directly offered a high price.
After bidding, Zhuang Rui glanced at the people in the first row, but to his disappointment, they remained unmoved, seemingly not there for this reason.
Although the price of 5 million RMB is still somewhat lower than that of porcelain from the five famous kilns of the Song Dynasty, it is not low for this highly controversial piece of porcelain.
On the other hand, even if Zhuang Rui were to ask for a price of 100 million, the money wouldn't leave his pocket. After all, the goods belonged to him, and Li Dali wouldn't ask him for a commission.
Sure enough, after Zhuang Rui called out the price, Mr. Liu's expression became hesitant. Anyone would be apprehensive about spending so much money on something they couldn't be sure about.
"Teacher Zhuang has offered five million. Are there any other bidders? This chastity device may be unseemly, but it might have been used by some empress..."
Li Dali told jokes, but he felt bitter inside. He hadn't expected that the Japanese he had gone to great lengths to invite would have no interest in the two pieces of porcelain.
After Li Dali asked three times, no one in the audience responded. Firstly, the crowd was unsure whether the item was genuine or not, and speculating on it for five million was not worth the risk. Secondly, Zhuang Rui had spoken first, so they had to give him some face.
Seeing that the audience didn't react, Li Dali picked up the gavel and said, "Alright, if no one bids, then this Song Dynasty Cizhou porcelain piece belongs to Teacher Zhuang..."
"Wait!" Just as Li Dali was about to strike with the hammer, Shanmu, who was sitting in the first row, stood up and said loudly, "I admire Chinese culture very much, and I also like this porcelain piece very much. I'll offer 10 million." "What? 10 million?"
"Has this Japanese guy gone mad?"
"Could this porcelain be a genuine Cizhou official kiln piece?"
"That's possible, otherwise why would the Japanese offer such a high price?"
Yamaki's words caused a huge stir, making the entire venue boil over. This sudden turn of events excited everyone.
It is important to know that very few porcelain pieces from the five major official kilns of the Song Dynasty have survived to this day. Most of them are collected in national and foreign museums and are almost never circulated among the public. Therefore, they are extremely expensive, with even smaller pieces costing over ten million.
However, that refers to official kiln porcelain with a clear provenance. It is extremely rare for an unrecorded item to fetch tens of millions of dollars at auction.
So although everyone present was very dissatisfied with Yamaki's offer, no one dared to raise the price rashly. After all, no one's money comes easily. Those who had just vowed to protect the national treasure even lowered their heads.
Compared to the complex emotions of these people, Zhuang Rui secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that his scheme had not been in vain, and the Japanese had indeed fallen into the trap.
Similarly, Li Dali, standing on the stage, felt the same way. It wasn't that the Japanese didn't want the two pieces of porcelain; rather, they were playing a psychological game. They didn't bid at first, but then suddenly doubled the price, hoping to snatch them up in one fell swoop.
Mr. Li was very satisfied with the price, but he didn't know that Zhuang Rui had already spent tens of millions of yuan just to make these two pieces of porcelain.
"12 million yuan belongs to the Chinese people, and it should remain in China..."
Just when Li Dali thought Zhuang Rui wouldn't bid again, Zhuang Rui's voice rang out throughout the room.
Not only was Li Dali dumbfounded, but even Miao Feifei, who was sitting in the back, opened her mouth wide and exclaimed in surprise, "Ah!" She knew that the porcelain originally belonged to Zhuang Rui.
"Teacher Zhuang, well done..."
"Brother Zhuang, you're a real man!" "Teacher Zhuang is right, Chinese things should stay in China." In an instant, those hindsight experts began to praise Zhuang Rui, almost to the point of singing "Big swords chop off the heads of the Japanese devils." The atmosphere in the entire venue became enthusiastic.
"Damn it, I spent over ten million on this firing, I should at least make a profit, right? Otherwise, wouldn't it be a waste of money for those Japanese?"
No one knew that Zhuang Rui was thinking this at that moment.
Chapter 868 An Exorbitant Price (Part 1)
Yamaki immediately doubled the price, which only showed that he was determined to get this porcelain piece. What did Zhuang Rui have to be afraid of? He directly shouted out a price of twelve million.
The crowd below was in a frenzy, as if Zhuang Rui had knocked out his opponent in a boxing match between China and Japan. Everyone was incredibly excited, disregarding their status, and they all shouted at the top of their lungs.
"Everyone, please be quiet, please be quiet..."
Li Dali already regretted his role as a guest host today. He was unprofessional; he shouted several times but still couldn't control the situation.
"15 million, I'll offer 15 million!" Boss Li's shouts were useless, but Shanmu's soft voice drowned out all the noise in the room. After he announced this new price, the whole room fell silent.
Around 2006, the price of ancient Chinese official porcelain did indeed see a significant increase, driven by foreign speculators. The most expensive piece of Yuan blue and white porcelain depicting a figure was speculated to reach a sky-high price of nearly 300 million RMB (this is from a novel, so don't compare it to reality; in the book, Zhuang Rui had already acquired the Yuan blue and white porcelain).
Riding this wave, the prices of other porcelain pieces have also soared. If these two pieces are indeed Cizhou official kiln porcelain, then both the porcelain itself and the cultural connotations behind it are definitely worth more than 15 million yuan.
But the most crucial point is that no one can give an accurate assessment of this porcelain. As for the appraisal report issued by the ceramic expert from Hebei Province, it is simply not up to the public's standards. Outside of Hebei Province, who would know who that expert Xue is?
Therefore, the price that Shanmu quoted is already very high. You should know that last month, a Yuan blue and white porcelain fish-patterned jar was auctioned at a Beijing auction house for 23.8 million yuan.
"Mr. Yamaki, you're not talking about Japanese yen, are you? Our transactions are done in RMB..."
A voice broke the silence in the room; it was a collector who "kindly" reminded Shanmu of something.
"Excuse me, I meant your country's currency, not the Japanese yen..."
Yamaki bowed politely to the person, causing the person to sit back down reluctantly.
Now everyone's eyes were focused on Zhuang Rui. Although no one spoke, they all hoped that Zhuang Rui would continue bidding and prevent the Japanese from taking the porcelain back to Japan.
Zhuang Rui now noticed something amiss. This Japanese man seemed to care a lot about the porcelain piece, and he was frequently whispering to the person next to him, as if they were discussing something.
"25 million RMB, I can't just watch this national treasure be lost..."
After a moment of silence, Zhuang Rui finally shouted out an exorbitant price, startling many people who involuntarily stood up and turned to look at him.
Even if it's genuine porcelain from the five famous kilns of the Song Dynasty, only the finest pieces can fetch this price. If Zhuang Rui spends so much money on this item and it turns out to be fake, then he'll have suffered a huge loss.
"Brother, wow, this price..."
Jin Pangzi was also shocked by Zhuang Rui's extravagant spending. Even if this was just a black market auction, more than 20 million RMB would still be a considerable sum in a regular international auction house.
"Brother Jin, my museum is currently lacking Song Dynasty porcelain, so adding Cizhou official kiln porcelain as a selling point would be a good thing..."
Zhuang Rui spoke loudly, and even Shanmu, who was sitting in the front row, could hear him clearly. This made him frown. Before making a move, he never expected that the price would be raised to 25 million.
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, the people in the room finally remembered that Zhuang Rui was not only an expert in antique appraisal, but also had a powerful business empire. His private museum alone was worth billions.
After hearing the people around him discussing Zhuang Rui's wealth, Shanmu began to hesitate. After all, he himself was not entirely certain that the two pieces of porcelain were Cizhou official kiln porcelain, so he was now considering backing out.
Nogai seemed to sense Yamaki's doubts and immediately whispered, "Yamaki-kun, please."
Yehe was practically standing up and bowing to Yamaki.
Although Nogai doesn't have much personal wealth, he holds a pivotal position in the Japanese ceramics industry. If we could gain his support and promote the newly acquired Cizhou official kiln porcelain, the benefits to Yamaki Co., Ltd. would be self-evident.
After weighing his options in his mind for a while, Shanmu stood up and said loudly, "I'll bid 40 million RMB." Because Zhuang Rui's bid had increased by 10 million RMB, Shanmu directly added 15 million RMB, hoping to psychologically overwhelm Zhuang Rui.
The venue fell silent once again. Apart from a few people panting with excitement, most people held their breath. They had never imagined that a small black market for antiques would allow them to witness such a thrilling auction process.
After Shanmu called out the latest price, Zhuang Rui looked hesitant, as if he wanted to bid again but couldn't make up his mind. Anyone could see that Teacher Zhuang was in a dilemma.
"Brother, forget it. If it can't be confirmed as Cizhou official kiln porcelain, buying it would be a complete loss..."
When Fatty Jin saw Zhuang Rui trying to get up again, he quickly pulled him back. Even if this porcelain piece was indeed the first official kiln work to appear in Cizhou, whether it was worth 40 million RMB was still another matter.
"this……"
Jin Pangzi's pull seemed to offer Zhuang Rui a way out, but Zhuang Rui still stood up and said, "This urinal is basically a toilet. Since our Japanese friends like it, as a nation of etiquette, we have no reason to steal it. Mr. Yamaki, this porcelain is yours..."
Zhuang Rui's words were rather far-fetched, somewhat like sour grapes, but no one blamed him. After all, he was the only one bidding against the Japanese, and he had driven the price up to a staggering 40 million, which was enough to earn respect.
"Damn it, you get all the good stuff, and I'm left with nothing but bad reputation..."
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Mr. Li felt incredibly aggrieved. The 40 million wasn't even his, and he'd been misunderstood for no reason. After weighing the situation in his mind for a while, he realized this deal was a huge loss. He was unhappy, but the auction had to continue. Li Dali slammed the gavel heavily on the table and said, "This porcelain piece, suspected to be from the Cizhou official kiln of the Song Dynasty, belongs to Mr. Yamaki. Congratulations, Mr. Yamaki! I hope that soon you can provide more detailed evidence to prove the value of this porcelain." "Thank you," Yamaki bowed politely to Li Dali. For the Japanese, what mattered was the age and background of these items; the actual object itself wasn't of great concern to them.
If you don't believe me, you can ask around. Just grab any Japanese person and ask them if they'd be willing to use the Emperor's chamber pot as a tea utensil. I guarantee they'll all nod in agreement.
"Mr. Yamaki, please examine this porcelain piece again before we transfer the funds and proceed with the auction for the next piece..."
If this were a legitimate auction house, the transaction would definitely take place after the auction. However, the rules of the black market are naturally set by the owner.
Yamaki also wanted to get the porcelain as soon as possible, so he didn't raise any objections. After examining the porcelain with Yehe, he transferred the money to Li Dali on the spot.
Holding the porcelain piece in a styrofoam box, Yamaki's face lit up with barely suppressed excitement.
Yamaki Corporation's total assets reached as much as 500 million US dollars. With their family's wealth, 40 million RMB was nothing. Moreover, the sensation caused after returning to Japan would be enough to make up for the money.
"Mr. Yamaki, I hope that both of these porcelain pieces can appear in Japan..."
Noga was also very happy. He was planning in his mind that once the two pieces of porcelain arrived in Japan, he would immediately announce that in a certain place in Japan, they had discovered that Japan had already produced more exquisite porcelain than China in the year 1000 AD.
Anyway, this auction wasn't conducted publicly, so even if these Chinese people came out and made a fuss, it was all without any evidence. Yehe knew that recording black market auctions was strictly prohibited.
"Chairman Nogai, don't worry," Yamaki nodded heavily, ignoring the hostile glances around him. He was well aware of the grievances between the two countries, so he did not expect to receive any respect or courtesy here.
"Hmph, foolish people, you'll know what you'll lose then."
Looking at the Chinese collectors behind him, Yehe felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction.
As a nation without its own history and culture, Yehe's strong sense of national pride had been greatly damaged, which is why he disregarded the conscience of a scholar and pushed this event forward at all costs.
"The next piece to be auctioned, a white-glazed vase with black floral fish and phoenix design, is a typical example of Cizhou ware craftsmanship. However, the workmanship of this vase is more refined and exquisite, and it also conforms to the characteristics of official kiln products... In terms of artistic value and size, this vase far surpasses the previous piece, so its starting price is 2 million RMB. Interested parties are welcome to place their bids..."
Li Dali was a very cautious person, and he insisted on the word "transfer" from beginning to end. The transaction price of the last piece of porcelain made even this black market boss, who had seen many big scenes, feel a little scared.
The fact that a fake porcelain piece could fetch 40 million at auction made Mr. Li begin to doubt whether his decision to switch to legitimate business was the right one.
"I'll take this porcelain for 20 million RMB."
As soon as Li Dali finished speaking, Zhuang Rui stood up, adopting a confident posture. In any case, he had already made back the cost of the two porcelain pieces, so he might as well go all out and play with the Japanese.
Chapter 869 Exorbitant Price (Part 2)
Whether from the perspective of artistic or aesthetic value, this white-ground black-flowered fish and phoenix patterned four-handled vase is far superior to that imperial utensil.
Before Zhuang Rui made his bid, many skilled domestic players were excited and eager to try their luck.
However, when Zhuang Rui announced the price of 20 million RMB, the room fell silent.
Several bosses who had originally planned to bid three to five million immediately backed down, their faces burning with embarrassment. Luckily, they hadn't made a bid first, or they would have been too ashamed to admit it.
"Professor Zhuang has bid 20 million RMB. Is anyone else interested? This is the last piece of Cizhou official kiln porcelain to be auctioned today. Don't miss out, or you'll never have another chance..."