Bass Gimmick was probably around fifty years old, with some gray hair and wearing gold-rimmed glasses. He looked very refined, like a university professor. After shaking hands with Zhuang Rui, he quietly sized up the young man in front of him.
Zhuang Rui's guess was correct. In addition to being the director of the Guimet Museum, Bath also taught at a university, making him a true professor.
Accompanying Bath was an appraiser. As the saying goes, everyone has their own expertise. Bath wasn't very familiar with Picasso's works, but there were so many people studying Picasso in Paris and Europe that finding an appraiser of Picasso's paintings was not an easy task.
"Mr. Bass, hello, please have a seat..."
Zhuang Rui wasn't particularly enthusiastic, but he wasn't cold either. However, Bass was treated much better than Ezkena the day before; at least Qin Xuanbing poured them both a cup of coffee.
Ezkena's ancestors were former French bandits, while Bass's ancestors were relatively innocent, which is why he was treated to coffee and tea at Zhuang Rui's place.
Zhuang Rui had researched the history of the Guimet Museum and learned that Émile Guimet, the founder of the Guimet Museum, was originally an industrialist from Lyon, France. He officially established the Guimet Museum in the 16th arrondissement of Paris in 1889, mainly showcasing the religious culture of Egypt, ancient Rome, Greece, and Asian countries.
Most of the collections in the Guimet Museum were acquired by Emir Guimet during his early travels around the world, including Egypt, Greece, Japan, China, and India.
Initially, the museum primarily showcased the religious cultures of Egypt, ancient Rome, Greece, and Asian countries. However, due to a series of expeditions and explorations in different regions of the Far East, the museum has become increasingly focused on Asia while preserving the ancient Egyptian religious section.
In 1927, the Guimet Museum came under the jurisdiction of the French Museums Headquarters, and thus received a large number of artworks acquired by explorers during their expeditions in Central Asia and China.
Later, the museum received original artifacts from the Indochina Museum and unearthed artifacts from a French expedition to Afghanistan, which helped establish the Guimet Museum's reputation for its rich art collection spanning the Indochina cultural sphere.
By 1945, the collections of French state museums underwent a large-scale reorganization. The Guimet Museum transferred its Egyptian section to the Louvre, which in return donated its Asian art section, making the Guimet Museum the premier museum of Asian art.
It is precisely for this reason that the Guimet Museum houses a large number of precious Chinese artifacts. Of course, among them are some valuable Chinese artworks donated to the Louvre by the descendants of the Eight-Nation Alliance. That is why Zhuang Rui asked Huangfu Yun to contact the Guimet Museum. However, Zhuang Rui was somewhat surprised that Basil Guimet could come in person.
France has many museums, but the Guimet Museum is undoubtedly the best among them, as most of its exhibits are Asian or Chinese artifacts.
As a museum whose business focuses on Asia, Zhuang Rui originally did not have high hopes for the possibility of exchanging collections with Bas Guimet, but after meeting Bas Guimet, Zhuang Rui felt that things seemed to be taking a turn for the better.
"Mr. Bass, if I may be so bold as to ask, your museum's main business focuses on Asian art. I wonder what your opinion is on Picasso's works?"
Zhuang Rui first needed to understand the significance of Picasso's works in Bass's mind before he could negotiate a better price. He also knew that foreigners were more straightforward in their dealings, and if he tried to beat around the bush, Bass Guimet probably wouldn't understand his meaning by the afternoon.
"Mr. Zhuang, although Picasso was Spanish, he spent most of his life in France, so he should also be considered French. His influence in France far exceeded that of any other French person, including President de Gaulle at the time..."
Bass Guimet's undisguised praise of Picasso delighted Zhuang Rui. "You'd better treat Picasso like an ancestor," he thought, "then I can ask for an even higher price."
"As a museum with a history of over a hundred years, we should also develop through multiple channels. While managing Asian art well, we should also explore and collect masterpieces by European modern art masters. And Picasso's works are something every museum dreams of..."
Zhuang Rui was unaware that although the Guimet Museum was nominally affiliated with the French Museums Headquarters, it was actually self-sufficient in terms of various expenses and profits. In today's commercial society, for a museum to develop better, it undoubtedly needs to have something more eye-catching.
Compared to Chinese culture, Picasso's works will undoubtedly attract more attention from tourists from all over the world. This will also provide the Guimet Museum with a new profit-generating project and more funds to carry out the museum's renovation and artifact preservation work.
Most importantly, the Guimet Museum has a lot of Chinese antiques that have been stored away in warehouses, some of which have not seen the light of day for decades. If those antiques could be used to exchange for Picasso's works, Bass Guimet believes that this suggestion would be agreed upon by everyone.
Beating children on a rainy day is something to do anyway. And if he can exchange some Chinese artworks that have no value for world-famous Picasso works, no matter how you look at it, Bas Guimet feels that he won't lose out.
"Of course, Mr. Zhuang, first of all, the Picasso work you have must be an original for us to have any possibility of cooperation..."
After seeing Zhuang Rui shake hands with him, Bass sat there in a daze, so he couldn't help but give Zhuang Rui a hint.
“Oh, of course, I’m sorry, Mr. Bass, I’ve thought of something else. Some of Mr. Picasso’s works are right here, and you and your appraiser can begin the appraisal now…”
Zhuang Rui waved his hand, and Peng Fei took out the six still-life sketches, as well as six children's sketches. Zhuang Rui took out 12 works at once because he considered that the other party was a representative of a museum and the demand should be relatively large.
If Bass Guimet can provide a suitable Chinese antique that Zhuang Rui would also appreciate, Zhuang Rui wouldn't mind bringing out all the remaining Picasso sketches.
Of course, Zhuang Rui still intended to leave the six Picasso sketches of women to Ezkena. After all, Zhuang Rui had been eyeing the two Yuan blue-and-white porcelain pieces in Ezkena and had long been determined to take one back with him.
After seeing Bass Guimet and the appraiser, and focusing their attention on the Picasso sketch, Zhuang Rui moved closer to Huangfu Yun and said, "Brother Huangfu, thank you for your help again this time. By the way, do these two speak Chinese?"
"No, Professor Bath teaches chemistry, not linguistics..."
Huangfu Yun shook his head, then said indignantly, "Brother Zhuang, stop with the empty promises. If you want to thank your brother, bring out something real. How about this: if the Guimet Museum has any ancient Chinese swords, can you get one for me? Of course, I'll pay for it, as long as it's not too expensive..."
Watching Zhuang Rui negotiate with others using Picasso's works as if they were rare commodities, Huangfu Yun felt as if she had been scratched by a cat. Unfortunately, she didn't have Zhuang Rui's luck, which led her to think that Zhuang Rui would get the meat while she could just have some soup.
"Hehe, that's easy, that's easy. If all else fails, there's my Dingguang Sword..."
Zhuang Rui looked at Huangfu Yun and laughed, but when he mentioned the Dingguang Sword and saw Huangfu Yun's excited expression, Zhuang Rui said with a mischievous grin, "If all else fails, I can't give you the Dingguang Sword either..."
"Damn, say something plausible..."
Huangfu Yun interrupted Zhuang Rui, feeling frustrated.
“Alright, as you said, Brother Huangfu, if Jimei has any good swords, I will definitely find one for you…”
Zhuang Rui nodded in agreement. If it weren't for Huangfu Yun, he would have been completely clueless when he arrived in Paris, not knowing a single person. Ezkener and Bass were both introduced by Huangfu Yun. Even if Huangfu Yun wanted to buy antique swords, Zhuang Rui would be willing to give him one.
Of course, this is on the premise that the swords in the Guimet Museum are not of the same caliber as the Dingguang Sword. If they were, Huangfu Yun wouldn't be able to afford them even if he wanted to. Give them away? If it were you, would you give away something worth hundreds of millions to someone for free?
After settling things off with Huangfu Yun, Zhuang Rui glanced at Bass and the appraiser, lowered his voice, and said, "Brother Huangfu, I've heard that the Guimet Museum has more than 20,000 Chinese artifacts. What do you think we should exchange with them for?"
Zhuang Rui was really scratching his head over this matter. Yesterday, when he was at the Guimet Museum, he had his eye on the Western Han Dynasty jade carving, the "White Jade Tiger." However, the Chinese artifacts on display in the museum were only a very small part of the collection, and Zhuang Rui was afraid that he had missed some good items.
Huangfu Yun chuckled and said, "That's simple, brother. Let me tell you, in 1945, the Louvre's Asian Department transferred all its Asian artifacts to the Guimet Museum. All the good stuff is in there..."
Chapter 639 Rare Goods for Hoarding (4)
The Louvre Museum in Paris needs no introduction; I believe everyone knows it. It is one of the oldest, largest, and most famous museums in the world, and can be compared with the Forbidden City in China.
The Louvre's collection is unparalleled by any other museum in the world, including the Venus de Milo, the Mona Lisa, and the Winged Victory of Samothrace, which are considered the three greatest treasures of the world.
Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" needs no introduction; it has transcended the realm of art and become a household name. Even children as young as three or five have probably heard of the Mona Lisa. Her dreamlike and charming smile has been called the "mysterious smile" by many art historians. The "Venus de Milo" is also a world-renowned goddess statue. Since its discovery in February 1820 near an ancient tomb on the Greek island of Milos in the Aegean Sea, this marble semi-nude full-body statue with missing arms has shaken the world with its unparalleled charm.
The statue is two meters tall, with a beautiful face and a well-proportioned figure. Its clothes have slipped down to its hips. Although its right arm is missing, it still shows the unique curves of a woman, appearing dignified and charming. After being purchased by France for a large sum of money, it was displayed in a special exhibition room in the Louvre. Since then, the "Venus de Milo" has become famous in the world and has become a symbol of love and beauty.
As for the Winged Victory of Samothrace, the French sculptor Rodin once exclaimed, "It's practically real muscle; you can feel its body temperature when you touch it." With these three world-renowned works of art, the Louvre's status is virtually unshakeable.
From ancient Egyptian, Greek, Etruscan, and Roman art to art from various Eastern countries, including sculptures from the Middle Ages to the modern era, as well as an astonishing number of royal treasures and masterpieces of painting, the Louvre has become a world-renowned art palace.
If we only consider the quantity of the collection, the Palace Museum can be compared to it. However, when it comes to the countries and regions represented by the collection, there is probably no museum in the world that can compare with the Louvre.
According to statistics, the Louvre Palace currently houses more than 400,000 art treasures from around the world.
The French exhibited these art treasures in six main galleries according to their origin and type: the Oriental Art Gallery, the Ancient Greek and Roman Art Gallery, the Ancient Egyptian Art Gallery, the Treasure Gallery, the Painting Gallery, and the Sculpture Gallery.
In its early days, most of the Louvre's collection came from private donations.
Most of the Eastern artworks were donated by the French army during the invasion of China. Frey had donated Chinese antiques from the Yuanmingyuan to the Louvre and Guimet Museum on several occasions, which is why Huangfuyun reminded Zhuang Rui of that.
The Louvre once transferred all of its rare Asian artifacts to the Guimet Museum, so one can imagine how rich the Guimet Museum's collection must be.
"Mr. Zhuang, without a doubt, these twelve sketches of yours are all works by Mr. Picasso, and all of them are genuine..."
At this point, Bass and the appraiser had also completed their authentication of the sketches. In terms of both the age of the paper and the style of the paintings, these works were undoubtedly by Picasso. Moreover, three of the sketches had Picasso's own signature.
"Huangfu once told me that Mr. Zhuang wanted to exchange these Picasso works for some of our museum's Chinese artifacts. I wonder if Mr. Zhuang has any pieces he's interested in and would like to bring them up so we can discuss it further..."
Bass continued, explaining that his Guimet Museum, unlike the Louvre, already possessed Picasso's works. Therefore, Bass had come with sincerity, genuinely wanting to exchange the Picasso sketches in Zhuang Rui's possession.
“Mr. Bass, I have not yet visited your museum, but I have long heard that your museum has the most extensive collection of Chinese artifacts. I think what is on display now is probably just the tip of the iceberg.”
Zhuang Rui told a lie here. He first praised the collection of Bass, and then said, "Mr. Picasso's works are loved by people all over the world. It is not difficult for Mr. Bass to own these works, but he must produce corresponding artworks before we can cooperate..."
"The corresponding artworks? Mr. Zhuang, you know, the artifacts from Asia in our collection are all ancient and extremely precious. I think you can go and choose some first..."
Although Zhuang Rui was decades younger than Bass, Bass still used honorifics when speaking to Zhuang Rui. There was no other way; in a seller's market for art, those who had the goods in hand were the dominant party.
"Choose?"
Zhuang Rui hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Mr. Bass, if it's alright, I'd like to first see the catalog of the items your museum received in exchange with the Louvre in 1945, as well as some Chinese artifacts that Frey donated to the Guimet Museum back then. Would that be alright?"
In China more than 100 years ago, the most valuable antiques were hidden in the Yuanmingyuan by the emperors with queues. They were of higher value than the Chinese antiques donated by adventurers to the Guimet Museum, which is why Zhuang Rui brought it up directly.
"Sure, if Mr. Zhuang has time, we can go to the Guimet Museum this afternoon. I'll bring you the materials there..."
Bass Guimet hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement. Since he had decided to include these Picasso works in the Guimet Museum, he knew he had to pay a price. Bass did not believe that Zhuang Rui, being relatively young, could be fooled.
"This afternoon, alright, this afternoon it is, Mr. Bass. May I invite you to lunch with me?"
Zhuang Rui nodded in agreement and extended an invitation to Bass Guimet. Although French people usually drink red wine, a few drinks might bring them closer. Maybe the old man in front of him would be in a good mood and give him some extra treats.
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Bass shrugged regretfully and said with a smile, "Zhuang, although I would love to have lunch with you and this beautiful lady, unfortunately, I have to go back and organize the documents now. You know, some of the files haven't been touched for decades..."
Perhaps the Chinese artworks donated by Frey and others were priceless in Zhuang Rui's eyes, but for the Bath and Guimet Museums, those items were not highly valued. The artworks displayed in the Guimet Museum's exhibition rooms were less than one-tenth of those in the warehouse.
Furthermore, Bass knew that many antiques from China had been kept hidden away in the Guimet Museum for a long time. Not to mention the antiques hidden deep in the warehouse, even the antique catalogues would probably take a long time to find.
"Very well, Mr. Bass, I will visit you promptly at 2 o'clock this afternoon..."
Zhuang Rui, hearing that it was important business, did not insist, stood up and saw Bass and the appraiser out the door.
Turning around, Zhuang Rui looked at Huangfu Yun and said, "Brother Huangfu, would you like to come with me this afternoon?"
"Nonsense, don't try to rip me off. I still want to see the Guimet Museum's collection..."
Huangfu Yun glared at Zhuang Rui with annoyance. In several European countries, apart from the British Museum and a few other museums, there are probably few places with more Chinese antiques than the Guimet Museum. Even if you can't buy them, it's still a kind of opportunity to go and see them.
After Zhuang Rui was treated to a French feast by Huangfu Yun at noon, he rested briefly at the hotel before getting into the car arranged by the hotel and heading towards the Guimet Museum with Qin Xuanbing and Huangfu Yun.
As for Peng Fei, he stayed obediently in his hotel room, guarding those priceless Picasso sketches. These were Zhuang Rui's trump cards in negotiations with foreign collectors, and he couldn't afford to let anything go wrong.
"Mr. Zhuang, welcome..."
Having received a call in advance, Bass was already waiting at the museum entrance. This time, they could save the £8 entrance fee to the Guimet Museum. Led by Bass, Zhuang Rui and his group entered the museum's office on the second floor.
Bass's office is about 70 or 80 square meters. There is a small reception room at the entrance. Zhuang Rui and the others are sitting on the sofa in the reception room, looking at the furnishings in the curator's office.
"Damn, that's really extravagant..."
With Zhuang Rui's discerning eye, he could naturally tell that all the antiques on the shelves were genuine. Among them were Egyptian pharaoh wood carvings inlaid with gemstones, Thai bronze Buddha statues, precious Persian carpets, and of course, Chinese porcelain.
Zhuang Rui felt a surge of excitement looking at these things, wishing he could transform into Spider-Man that very night and collect them all.
"Mr. Bath, perhaps you could first take a look at what artworks in your collection might appeal to me..."
After a quick look at the office furnishings, a voluptuous female secretary came in and asked what they would like to drink. Zhuang Rui casually ordered a coffee and then made his request to Bass.
Thinking of the precious cultural relics that were looted a hundred years ago, Zhuang Rui felt somewhat excited.
The catastrophe a century ago was so devastating that it was impossible to count how many precious antiques were looted and taken abroad. Now, seeing those national treasures that only existed in collection records, Zhuang Rui and Huangfu Yun couldn't help but show excited expressions.
"Yes, Mr. Zhuang, this contains all the documents related to the donation from the French Frey family, including original documents such as the decree signed by the then French president accepting the gift on behalf of the nation..."
After hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Bass picked up a sealed kraft paper envelope from his desk.
Zhuang Rui noticed that there was another identical envelope on the desk, which must have been from the Louvre's Asian Department collection.
Chapter 640 Rare Goods for Hoarding (5)