Legend has it that Lu Zigang is very particular about carving jade, and there is a saying that "if the quality of jade is not good, it will not be cured, if the color of jade is not beautiful, it will not be cured, and if the quality of jade is bad, it will not be cured".
The better the jade quality, the higher the hardness, and the more difficult it is to carve, the more he likes it.
Because Lu Zigang said that the unique skills of his men are all derived from the original fine carving knife "Wukun".
But this "Wukun Sword" was kept secret from others, and his sword-wielding skills were also kept secret from others.
The jade plaque here is a heirloom, and its patina (glass luster) shows that it has a real sense of age.
From the decoration of the jade tablet, we can see the exquisite carving skills, especially the high purity of the two lines of characters as fine as hair, and the rationality of the overall decoration layout, which are not simple.
The writing on it is neat and uniform, and the carvings are aligned left and right, reflecting extremely exquisite carving techniques.
This carving technique has formed a fancy pattern, and its slender, delicate and precise carving techniques are breathtaking.
Its level of sophistication cannot be achieved even in modern times with modern tools!
Of course, this jade plaque is not without controversy, for example, there is no clear signature on it.
There is also Lu Zigang’s carving craftsmanship. Why do some people think it is a Qing Dynasty imitation?
In fact, it is because of the carving process.
Because until now, some people have always believed that such slender, fine and precise carving techniques could not be achieved in the Ming Dynasty. It should be achieved after the introduction of advanced Western tools after Qianlong.
Besides, there is no mark left on this jade plaque!
At that time, the jade materials used by Lu Zigang were all Khotan jade, which is now Hetian jade.
All of his works are engraved, mainly in seal script and official script.
There are three types: "Zigang", "Zigang" and "Zigangzhi".
Retaining money is actually a proof of strength and a characteristic given by the times.
In the late Ming Dynasty, there was a "fever for fashionable play" in society at that time, and many literati paid attention to collecting crafts by famous artists of recent times and even at that time.
This promoted the pursuit of excellence in craft production at that time, and many famous craftsmen emerged in various fields of arts and crafts.
People flock to the works signed by these famous craftsmen, and some of them are often worth the price of antique jewelry.
After many craftsmen became famous, scholar-bureaucrats were also willing to associate with them, support them and brag about them, and thus became celebrities in society.
Lu Zigang is a leader who emerged as a result of this "fever for fun".
The jades he carves all have their own inscriptions, most of which are in strict seal script with the inscription "Zigang" in Yin, to show that "this is the only one, there is no other branch."
There were no less than 20 or 30 jade carving craftsmen in the Ming and Qing dynasties whose names were handed down from generation to generation, and almost no one dared to imitate them.
This is Lu Zigang's pride, and he will not leave this pride behind or forget it!
Therefore, sometimes the money left by Lu Zigang is quite special.
If there is no special reason, he will leave it in the open, and he is very particular about the location of the engraving.
If there are special circumstances, he will hide the remaining money. At this time, the remaining money is mostly hidden in unknown places such as the bottom of the vessel, the back of the vessel, under the handle, inside the cover, etc.
It can be said that saving money is an addiction and a kind of persistence.
Of course, this persistence actually results in a brand, and what the brand brings is an improvement in social status.
The craftsman household system of the Ming Dynasty made craftsmen in the early and middle Ming Dynasty like slaves. But in the later period, they were finally able to stand up. Do you think Lu Zigang would give up this honor easily?
At that time, Lu Zigang had already established Zigang Workshop.
The workshop he founded is very rich in craftsmanship. In addition to jade, its carvings include bamboo, wood, stone, and even inlays (jades and treasures), all of which are involved, and all of them are successful.
It can be said that Lu's Zigang Workshop was already a jewelry workshop with a rich variety of products.
At that time, Lu Zigang relied on his cultivation of calligraphy and painting art to create the first "poetry, calligraphy and painting seal" jade design. He changed the outdated and tacky jade of the Ming Dynasty and developed Suzhou style jade, which was appreciated by the Jin gentry at that time.
Under the "official craftsman household" system, one can win the right to "create one's own brand", put one's name on the product, and have the privilege of being on an equal footing with literati.
The fame of Luzigang jade carvings in Suzhou in the 16th century has its special historical background.
At that time, the literati in the Jiangnan area were fond of artworks and developed a respect for craftsmen, which also encouraged craftsmen to "create their own brands."
The utensils produced by the Zigang workshop are all carved with the name "Zigang" or "made by Zigang", made by Lu Zigang, even the tributes to the emperor such as "citrine plum flower arrangement", jade-inlaid gold cup, Zigang brand, etc.
, both have the word "Zigang" carved into them.
Legend has it that Zhu Yijun, Emperor Shenzong of the Ming Dynasty, ordered him to carve a jade pot without signing the name. He used the skill of engraving and miraculously placed the name on the spout of the jade pot just by the feel of his hand.
It is said that Lu Zigang was deeply loved by the emperor, but once he carved his name on a dragon head after making a jade sculpture for the emperor, which angered the emperor and was unfortunately killed.
For such a master who is obsessed with leaving money, he would leave no money on a mutton-fat jade plaque?
It's basically impossible, so this thing is considered to be a later imitation, and the imitation is not that serious.
Otherwise, this seemingly knowledgeable lawyer would not even mention the craftsmanship of this jade plaque, but would only talk about the quality of this jade plaque.
Also, Lu Zigang’s jade carving skills are indeed very puzzling!
Lu Zigang did not leave behind his "Wukun Sword", nor did he pass on his sword-wielding skills. The carving skills of "Zigang Jade" are still unique skills and difficult to imitate.
This is also an important reason why some Zigang jade with simple craftsmanship is considered to be imitations.
"Young man, do you really want this thing? It's not cheap!"
"I'm not thinking about picking up the leaks. How much do you plan to do?"
"This jade tablet weighs 120 grams, which is 12 million!"
"Okay!" Chen Wenzhe answered happily.
He has spent a lot of money recently and is very clear about his account balance, so he knows that he still has thirteen million in cash.
In other words, the funds he had accumulated for more than half a year were finally used up today. If he wants to buy anything in the future, he must think carefully about it.
As for abandoning this transaction and leaving some cash for emergencies, Chen Wenzhe would never consider such a thing.
The main reason is that this jade plaque has no celebrity brand value attached to Lu Zigang.
It can be said that twelve million is already a bargain price. How could he possibly give up?
"The toad yawned so loudly?"
"Haha, do you know how much twelve million is? It could crush you to death, but you agreed so happily?"
"Okay, okay, the show is over now. Just such a jade plaque, you actually want to sell it for 12 million? What are you dreaming about?"
"Now that you know it's acting, what else do you say? Old lady, it's not like we don't care about you. There's really nothing we can do. Otherwise, you should stay here and be hospitalized? It's the cheapest to be hospitalized here. What's the monthly bed fee?