Zhuang Rui steadied himself, took a few steps closer to the wall, picked up the mirror, tilted it slightly, and a beam of light was reflected back onto the wall. This time, Zhuang Rui's hand did not move; he could indeed see a trace of influence from that palm-sized beam of light.
Within that beam of light, Zhuang Rui saw a lotus-seated image of Guanyin Bodhisattva. With her hair tied up in a high bun and her robes flowing, Guanyin Bodhisattva sat peacefully on a lotus pedestal, holding a vase, her face kind and compassionate, her eyes slightly closed, displaying an expression of utmost mercy and compassion.
The image wasn't very clear, and just as Zhuang Rui was feeling excited and his hand trembled slightly, the image of Guanyin disappeared.
"This...how is this possible?"
Zhuang Rui exclaimed inwardly, he had never heard of patterns appearing in a bronze mirror before. He hadn't noticed anything when he looked at the mirror just now.
Zhuang Rui immediately turned the bronze mirror over and carefully examined its surface. He found that the mirror was extremely smooth and did not contain any image of Guanyin. However, Zhuang Rui was certain that the image on the wall was not a hallucination.
Taking a deep breath, Zhuang Rui calmed himself down and focused on looking at the mirror. As spiritual energy seeped into the bronze mirror, a strange feeling rose in Zhuang Rui's heart.
The moment the spiritual energy entered the mirror, Zhuang Rui felt as if the bronze mirror had come to life. The originally fine grinding texture on the mirror surface was magnified infinitely in Zhuang Rui's eyes.
Zhuang Rui discovered that these textures had subtle differences in depth, and it was these differences that caused the image of Guanyin Bodhisattva to appear under the reflection of the light. Although he had never heard of this before, Zhuang Rui felt that he had discovered an extraordinary treasure.
A bronze mirror is an ancient mirror made of bronze. In ancient times, people used water to reflect their faces. After the invention of bronze, people used bronze basins to hold water to reflect their images.
In pre-Qin works such as the Book of Documents, the Discourses of the States, and the Zhuangzi, it is mentioned that the ancients "used water as a mirror." The ancient word "mirror" was interpreted as "basin." Therefore, it can be said that the basin (mirror) used to hold water was the earliest mirror.
With the advent of alloy technology, bronze mirrors were made using copper and tin or silver and lead from the Yin and Shang dynasties onwards. Bronze mirrors were generally made in round or square shapes, with inscriptions and patterns cast on the back and a knob for attaching. The front was polished with lead and tin to make it bright and clear for reflecting one's image.
Bronze mirrors from the Shang, Western Zhou, and Spring and Autumn periods have been found sporadically in various archaeological excavations in China, but they became popular and their production increased significantly during the Warring States period.
During the Han Dynasty, due to the high demand in daily life and the rapid economic prosperity after the mid-Western Han Dynasty, the production of bronze mirrors experienced a qualitative leap. The bronze mirrors produced were exquisitely crafted, heavy, and featured a rich variety of inscriptions and patterns on their backs. This period saw two more peaks of development during the Tang and Song Dynasties.
This practice continued until the Ming and Qing dynasties. With the advent of modern glass, bronze mirrors gradually faded from the historical stage.
In ancient times, bronze mirrors were closely related to people's daily lives. They were indispensable household items and exquisite works of art. The bronze mirrors now collected in some major museums are all well-made, beautiful in shape, gorgeous in patterns, and rich in inscriptions. They are treasures of my country's ancient cultural heritage.
The Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods were a mature and highly developed period in the history of ancient Chinese bronze mirrors. It was a transitional stage from the rudimentary to the mature stage of ancient Chinese bronze mirrors, and also an important period in which the center of bronze mirror casting began to migrate from the north to the south.
During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, bronze mirrors experienced rapid and comprehensive development based on the foundations laid by the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties. Both the casting techniques and the quantity produced far surpassed those of the past.
During the Qin and Han dynasties, the number of unearthed bronze mirrors was the largest, and their use was widespread. Han mirrors not only outnumbered those of the Warring States period, but also saw significant development in their production methods and artistic expression.
As for Sui and Tang dynasty bronze mirrors, they saw further development compared to previous dynasties. The tin content was increased in the bronze alloy, giving the mirrors a silvery sheen that was both beautiful and practical.
During the Song, Jin, and Yuan dynasties, the craftsmanship of bronze mirrors did not see any major breakthroughs. Most of them continued the style of the Han and Tang dynasties, with the addition of bronze mirrors featuring historical stories and the like.
In recent years, the number of people collecting bronze mirrors has been increasing, and prices have been rising year by year. It is normal for a Han or Tang dynasty bronze mirror in good condition to fetch a million dollars at auction, while some mirrors with a provenance can fetch tens of millions.
If anyone could find the bronze mirror from the story of the broken mirror being mended, its value would be immeasurable simply because of the story's background.
Based on the history of bronze mirrors, Zhuang Rui could almost certainly conclude that this bronze mirror must be from the Sui and Tang dynasties. The reason is simple: Buddhism was introduced to China after the late Han and Five Dynasties period and developed during the Sui and Tang dynasties.
The effort required to meticulously polish the patterns on a bronze mirror to depict the image of Guanyin Bodhisattva is something that probably no one else, except perhaps during the Sui and Tang dynasties when Buddhism flourished, would have gone to such lengths.
Zhuang Rui simply didn't know how this rare bronze mirror ended up abroad, and why its secret had remained undiscovered for so many years.
"Coming abroad to plunder treasures from their own country..."
Zhuang Rui chuckled self-deprecatingly. Although from the perspective of cultural relic preservation, those Dunhuang scrolls and the bronze mirror in front of him might have been better preserved abroad, since countless cultural relics were reduced to ashes during the ten years of turmoil in China.
However, psychologically speaking, Zhuang Rui would rather have his treasures in foreign museums burned to ashes than see the development of his own country's civilization in other countries, because that would be a silent mockery, a reminder of the humiliation China suffered a century ago.
"What's the price of this piece of metal?"
Zhuang Rui shook his head, pulled himself out of his thoughts, and then held up the bronze mirror to Renault. He was taking advantage of Renault's ignorance of this thing, deliberately calling the bronze mirror a piece of metal.
"Oh no, sir, this is a mirror from your country. In our country, we also have mirrors made of metal, but they are very expensive and definitely not made of iron..."
Zhuang Rui was surprised that Renault knew something about this, but judging from his tone, he didn't know much either. He then said, "Let's just think of it as a mirror, but can you see yourself reflected in it?"
Zhuang Rui's words left Renault speechless. Although the bronze mirror was smooth, it had become somewhat blurry due to oxidation, and could only reflect a person's image at most. It was indeed very different from the metal mirrors made abroad in the 16th and 17th centuries.
To be honest, in foreign countries, the definition of art, apart from calligraphy and painting, emphasizes practical value. This bronze mirror, however, is covered in rust on the back and has a blurry surface. It has neither artistic nor practical value, and it would be beneath the dignity of a room. Renault really couldn't find any words to refute Zhuang Rui.
“Mr. Renault, if you consider it a treasure, then you should keep it for yourself…”
When Zhuang Rui saw Renault standing there, looking hesitant, he threw the bronze mirror in his hand onto the table, not with the mirror facing up, because Zhuang Rui was afraid of damaging the polished patterns on the Guanyin statue.
"2000 euros, if you can offer that price, I'll sell it to you..."
Renault gritted his teeth and said a price that was relatively high in his mind.
"2000 euros?"
Zhuang Rui frowned slightly. 2,000 euros is about 20,000 RMB. Putting aside the mystery in the mirror, the quality of this bronze mirror alone is a bit too expensive.
"Well then, if you could tell me the origin of this bronze mirror, I think I could accept the price of 2,000 euros..."
Zhuang Rui asked this question because he wanted to know the origin of the bronze mirror and see if he could determine its origin from it.
Because this bronze mirror is so rare, being able to grind an image of Guanyin onto its surface without the naked eye is something that is absolutely not something an ordinary person can do.
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Renault shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, sir, this item was collected by my grandfather and has always been kept here. However, I seem to recall him mentioning that this stone statue was with the bronze mirror..."
Zhuang Rui was somewhat disappointed. According to Renault, this was very likely something that those bandits had stolen from a temple in China back then, because monks also needed mirrors. Perhaps this thing was made by a skilled craftsman at the request of the monks in the temple.
However, the Buddha head was so badly damaged that Zhuang Rui couldn't find any clues about it. Moreover, with so many temples in China, he had no way of finding out which temple the Buddha head came from.
Shaking his head helplessly, Zhuang Rui took out 2,000 euros from his handbag and handed it to Renault. Then he carefully placed the bronze mirror in his bag and wrapped it with several layers of tissue paper, afraid that the mirror would be damaged.
After the transaction was completed, Renault learned Zhuang Rui's name. Seeing Zhuang Rui constantly examining the Buddha head, he said, "Mr. Zhuang, don't you want this bronze mirror?"
"Oh no, I'm not interested in that, but may I take some pictures? Perhaps I can introduce it to some friends who like it..."
The spiritual energy in that Buddha head was already very weak, and since there was no discernible clue from its appearance, it was practically just a broken stone. Zhuang Rui had no interest in it.
"Mr. Reno, do you not have any oil paintings or other works of art here?"
After spending half a day here, Zhuang Rui felt a little resentful that the items he received were still from his own country.
Chapter 630 Sketch Manuscript (Part 1)
"painting?"
Renault was taken aback by Zhuang Rui's question. Among foreign artworks, apart from the sculptures of those masters, oil paintings are the most valuable for collection and the market.
"Mr. Zhuang, I mainly have modern handicrafts here. I do have some reproductions of oil paintings, I wonder if you would be interested. Of course, I also have some paintings by emerging artists, which are very worth collecting..."
Reno was relatively honest, considering that Zhuang Rui had bought something from him. He did want to own a painting by a famous artist like Van Gogh, but that was a bit of a pipe dream.
Leaving aside world-renowned painters from the Renaissance period such as Giotto di Bondona, Masaccio, Leonardo da Vinci, and Raphael Sanzio, even any surviving painting by modern artists like Vincent Willem van Gogh and Paul Cézanne is worth tens of millions.
If Reno had their works, would he need to work day and night to run this craft shop? He probably would have sold the paintings long ago and taken his wife on a world tour.
"Modern painters? Forget about them..."
Zhuang Rui shook his head upon hearing this. Although many people in the international oil painting market collect works by promising artists, and their value may appreciate in three to five years, Zhuang Rui didn't have that patience. He wasn't collecting for money now.
Zhuang Rui would naturally use that time to hunt for genuine artifacts; he's not running an art gallery or training new talent.
After declining Renault's offer, Zhuang Rui wandered around the basement again. However, although many of the remaining items contained spiritual energy, they were either of poor quality or had very little spiritual energy, and none of them caught Zhuang Rui's eye.
After examining all the items in the room, Zhuang Rui looked at the locked room and asked Renault, "Renault, what's in the other room?"
Although he had acquired a rare Sui and Tang dynasty bronze mirror today, Zhuang Rui was still a little dissatisfied. This thing was from his own country, and Zhuang Rui had come out to hunt for treasures hoping to find a piece of foreign art.
"Oh, those are all my grandfather's belongings. I forgot to tell you. My grandfather was a respected painter, although he wasn't very famous. But my father and I kept all his paintings. These things aren't for sale..."
Although Renault said he wouldn't sell, he had already unlocked the door with his key and pushed open the door to the small room. By the light from the outside room, Zhuang Rui could see that there were four large metal boxes inside the small room.
“My grandfather knew Picasso back then, though he wasn’t as famous as Pablo, and nobody appreciated his paintings…”
When Renault mentioned Picasso, he was quite resentful because his grandfather had a very good relationship with Picasso and was often a guest of Pablo Ruiz Picasso. However, what frustrated Renault was that Picasso painted countless paintings in his lifetime, but his grandfather was unable to collect a single one.
"Picasso?"
Zhuang Rui was taken aback when he heard this. That was one of the most creative and influential artists in the contemporary West, and he and his paintings occupy an immortal place in the history of world art.
Picasso's full name is 75 syllables long, which translates to 75 Chinese characters. When Zhuang Rui heard this, he seriously doubted whether Picasso himself could remember his own name. For convenience, people generally refer to him as Picasso.
Picasso was a prolific painter. According to statistics, he produced a total of nearly 37,000 works, including 1,885 oil paintings, 7,089 drawings, 20,000 prints, and 6,121 lithographs.
Picasso's life was incredibly brilliant. He was the first painter in history to live to see his own work collected by the Louvre Museum, which is the greatest honor for his 92 years of life.
In a poll conducted by a French newspaper in December 1999, he was voted the greatest painter of the 20th century with 40% of the vote.
Regarding his work, Picasso said, "Every painting of mine contains my blood, and that is the meaning of my paintings."
Of the top 10 most expensive paintings ever sold at auction worldwide, four are by Picasso, with a total value exceeding 2 billion RMB. Although these are only some of his most outstanding works, this demonstrates his significant place in the history of world art.
"Was your grandfather a friend of Picasso?"
Zhuang Rui casually chatted with Renault as he walked into the small room and began to look through some sketches on the table. However, his brows immediately furrowed upon seeing them.
Foreign realist painting is considered slightly more important than abstract painting, and to be honest, Zhuang Rui couldn't tell whether Reno's grandfather's sketches were realist or abstract.
The sketch Zhuang Rui held in his hand looked like a human portrait at first glance, but upon closer inspection, it resembled an animal. Apart from the face being drawn to look slightly like a human, it lacked any other human features.
Although he didn’t know much about foreign paintings, Zhuang Rui knew that the level of this sketch was really not very good. He couldn’t understand why Picasso was able to be friends with Reno’s grandfather.
"Ahem, Mr. Zhuang, although my grandfather's painting skills weren't very good, his appreciation of art was quite high..."
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Renault blushed slightly and offered a somewhat embarrassed explanation. Zhuang Rui then understood; it turned out that this man's ancestor was someone who was all talk and no action.
Upon seeing this bizarre sketch, Zhuang Rui lost all interest in looking at it. Just as he was about to say something insincere to praise old Renault, who was a friend of Picasso, his eyes suddenly fell on a box.
Zhuang Rui has gradually developed a habit: when he sees a large number of collections, he usually scans them with his spiritual energy first, and then examines them one by one according to the thickness of his spiritual energy. Although he is not planning to examine them now, he still habitually glanced at a few boxes.
However, just as his spiritual energy passed through the box closest to him, Zhuang Rui's eyes froze, staring almost blankly at the large metal box.
At this moment, Zhuang Rui completely believed Renault's words. His grandfather must have been a famous art connoisseur and a good friend of Picasso, because Zhuang Rui discovered that in that tin box, there was a thick stack of papers, all of which contained a rich white spiritual energy.
Zhuang Rui didn't know that, apart from Picasso, there was no other artist whose paintings could contain so much spiritual energy. Moreover, judging from the colors, objects containing white spiritual energy are generally contemporary or modern artworks.
Suppressing his excitement, Zhuang Ruiqiang casually said to Renault, "Uh, Mr. Renault, I believe a good connoisseur must also be an outstanding painter. I think your grandfather just didn't have anyone who knew how to appreciate his work. If you agree, I'd like to see his paintings..."
"Of course I agree, Mr. Zhuang. These boxes are not locked, you are free to browse them, but it would be best to handle them gently. You know, these papers have been stored for decades and are very fragile..."
Renault was delighted to have met someone who appreciated his grandfather. To give Zhuang Rui a better view, he turned on another light, instantly brightening the room.
"Hmm, that's right. Your grandfather must have been a master of abstract art. Oh my goodness, Mr. Reno, why don't you put his paintings up for sale?"
After Zhuang Rui opened the box, he praised it repeatedly. However, after saying these words, Zhuang Rui himself got goosebumps because it was too insincere. It was like telling an old hen that it looked like a phoenix.
"Cough...cough cough, I mainly wanted to keep it as a souvenir..."
Renault, who now runs that art shop, certainly has a good eye for art. He had sorted through his grandfather's paintings before, so he knew his grandfather's skill level. Hearing Zhuang Rui's praise, he couldn't help but feel embarrassed for his grandfather, who was probably in heaven or hell.
"Of course, if I happen to find someone who appreciates these paintings, I might consider selling a portion of them, Mr. Zhuang, just a small part..."