At the auction site of the Yuan blue and white Guiguzi Descending Mountain vase, when the bidding reached 10 million pounds, there were still 6,
7 bidders.
The crooked Wang Dingqian estimated the price at around 8 million pounds and set the highest support point at 10 million. He did not expect it to exceed expectations.
The final winner, Eskenazi, is the world's leading antique dealer dealing in early Chinese art.
This time, he was bidding on behalf of an overseas private collector.
He only joined when the price tag reached 13.5 million pounds.
He and a telephone bidder won the treasure after a long battle.
After filming, Eskenazi said he was exhausted by the intensity of the scene.
And admitted: "I have reached my limit and I don't know how much longer I can hold on."
The local British newspaper at the time evaluated the auction results as "crazy bidding".
Desmond Healy, head of Chinese ceramics and arts and crafts at Christie's in London, said, "The buyer thought the porcelain jar might have some value, but he didn't expect such a result. The price is simply shocking."
He said: "We are very satisfied with the auction result. This jar is still in good condition after being collected for many centuries. It is really rare in the market."
In fact, it was not until Christie's published the auction catalog that collectors learned of the existence of the porcelain jars, and the porcelain jars began to attract great attention in the international collecting circle.
At that time, the passion of the Chinese people was also aroused, because none of the other seven similar antiques remained in China.
International professionals believe that a group of powerful Chinese buyers have formed an alliance to try to return the porcelain jars to their homeland.
Even Christie's staff emphasized that in auctions, the ability of bidders to predict is very important.
The hottest items often come as a surprise, and bidders usually have extra money to back them up.
They believe that the fact that Chinese collectors did not win the jar this time does not mean that Chinese buyers are incompetent.
It's because the calculations before the auction were incorrect, and therefore when faced with an unexpectedly high price, there was a temporary lack of psychological preparation.
In fact, Chinese collectors are very powerful, and if they calculate well, they are fully capable of purchasing.
Although the Chinese people's participation in the auction of the Yuan blue and white jars was somewhat of a factor in bringing the Chinese collection back to their homeland, many people believed that they were not trying to regain the so-called "face" of the Chinese people, but because the quality of the jars was indeed very good.
Of course, bringing this jar back to Asia, whether it is mainland China or Wanwan, will indeed be of great help to academic research.
After the auction, Eskenazi declined to disclose the buyer's information.
All he could say was that the buyer was "not Asian and not British."
The auction house has no way to intervene, but many people speculate that the final buyer may be an ugly collector.
And I haven't heard that the buyer will have any exhibition plans for this tank.
However, there are still many big collectors or people in the industry who hope to lend it to museums for display so that more people will be lucky enough to see this rare thing in the world with their own eyes.
In the past few years, many people have been lucky enough to get along with the big can. "The more you look at it, the more interesting it becomes, and you never get tired of it."
After the photo is taken, more people will feel a sense of "loss". At least in the short term, there will be no chance to see it again.
What’s the main benefit of such a fine product?
First of all, the subject matter of the picture jar is peculiar. The peculiarity of the subject matter more importantly reflects the protagonist in the story of the picture---Gui Guzi.
There are different opinions on Guiguzi in history, and he has always been a mysterious figure.
In Chinese history, there is indeed Guiguzi.
Guiguzi was a native of Weiguo in the middle of the Warring States Period, and his date of birth and death is unknown.
In his early years, he traveled around various countries, was good at rhetoric, and was good at making plans. He wanted to be heard by the princes, but due to bad luck, his official career was not obvious.
Later, in order to become the leader of the Zongheng family and establish an independent sect, he lived in seclusion in Chaoge Guigu, wrote books, established disciples, and taught students according to their aptitude.
The place where he lived in seclusion was called "Guigu", and because he called himself Guiguzi, he was also called Mr. Guigu.
Of course, this "ghost" does not refer to evil and treacherous ghosts, but to the mysterious, mysterious and superhuman wisdom.
Guiguzi is knowledgeable. As a part of traditional Chinese history and culture, Guiguzi's theory has been famous overseas for a long time and is deeply respected.
The other protagonist in the story, Su Dai, is also a very interesting character.
Su Dai is Su Qin's younger brother, a native of Yangluo. He is not as famous as his brother, but he is also an outstanding political strategist.
The story of the well-known idiom "snipe and clam fighting" and the word "borrowing light" are all related to him.
Such a meaningful Yuan blue and white vase can be said to have gathered all the elements that can add value, so it will naturally be sought after.
Therefore, even if there is only one fake in the collection donated by Mr. Zhao Tailai, it is still very precious.
Among the tens of thousands of antiques, fakes like Yuan blue and white are definitely not an exception.
But we have to think that things that can be imitated by masters in the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China must be top-notch national treasures.
Therefore, although not all of the antiques donated by Zhao Tailai are genuine, these fakes do not have high value?
For example, the Yuan blue and white Guiguzi Xiashan vase inside is the most valuable porcelain in the world today.
Not to mention anything else, just the imitation of pictures on it is very complicated.
Of course, it is impossible to say that Zhao Tailai has something exactly the same.
However, even if these cultural relics are fakes, Mr. Zhao Tailai's deeds of transporting these cultural relics from overseas at his own expense still deserve our respect.
After all, it takes ten years of hard work to return cultural relics to the country, and not everyone can do it.
In Yangcheng, the most famous one should actually be the Zhao Tailai Collection.
The Zhao Tailai Collection Hall was built according to the specifications of ancestral halls (ancestral halls, family temples) in the Pearl River Delta in the late Qing Dynasty.
On the outside is a double-curled gable (i.e. Zizi wok-ear), with polished blue bricks and white stone feet, and a gate with the word "Hui" on the front.
The inscriptions on the plaque and couplets were written by the late famous Lingnan painter Li Xiongcai when he was 94 years old.
Mr. Zhao Tailai is a British Chinese, an honorary citizen of Yangcheng City, and the eternal honorary director of Baomo Garden.
He enthusiastically donated famous paintings to Baomo Garden. During this period, he even donated 41 large-scale xz "Thangkas", as well as huge treasures such as Bronze Guanyin, Bronze Horse, and Bronze Incense Burner from the Ming Dynasty.
"Thangka" is a Buddhist religious painting in the snowy area. It originated very early and was most popular in the Tang Dynasty, so it is also known as "Thangka".
The "Zhao Tailai Collection" collects 41 xz "Thangkas", including Shakyamuni Buddha, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, Manjushri Bodhisattva, etc. in different postures, various Dharma Protectors, and various founders of xz Buddhism.
There is even a portrait of King Songtsen Gampo of Tibet.
In the middle of the museum, there is also a special huge glass cabinet.
On display are a Ming Dynasty gilt bronze statue of Guanyin donated by Mr. Zhao Tailai, a pair of Ming Dynasty gilt bronze horses and a large copper incense burner.
In front of the Guanyin statue, there is a three-legged copper incense burner with animal ears and four copper handicrafts, all of which are rare treasures.