Christie's and Sotheby's are transliterated. Since Hong Kong was a British colony before, in many cases, Hong Kong still continues to have some foreign names.
Both Sotheby's and Christie's practice chain operations. They not only set up local branches, but also develop transnational auction businesses. They rely on chain operation mechanisms and means to quickly occupy a large share of the world's auction market.
Statistics as of the end of the last century show that Sotheby's has chain auction institutions or offices in 109 cities in 39 countries and regions around the world, while Christie's has chain auction houses or offices in 34 cities in 46 countries or regions around the world.
Auction agency or office.
It can be said that Sotheby's and Christie's, the two major auction houses, are worthy of being the dominant players in the international art auction market. Even people like Xiang Ye Tian who have nothing to do with auction houses have heard of their names.
"Ye Tian, I don't know much about Taoist classics. I have a batch of scriptures to photograph this time. You can see if they are useful. If so, I will definitely help you photograph them!"
Some of the things he spent a lot of money to take photos of in the past few times had no effect on Ye Tian. Tang Wenyuan was an old-school businessman. Although he didn't necessarily care about money, he was unwilling to waste money anymore.
After hearing what Tang Wenyuan said, Ye Tian looked away from the catalog, raised his head and said with a smile: "Old Tang, please give me the figures for the fees for the previous few shoots, and I will ask Xiao Tian to call you later.
"
"No, aren't you just slapping me in the face?"
Upon hearing what Ye Tian said, Tang Wenyuan immediately opened his eyes. At the same time, he also regretted in his heart. Why did he bother himself? Ye Tian could just take pictures if he needed it. His health was far beyond what this amount of money could measure.
"Old Tang, I don't need this little money. If you help me find this information, even if it's the rent for living here, you won't be able to pay for the things I buy."
Ye Tian heard the words and laughed. Not long ago, Song Weilan gave him a card with 100 million US dollars in it. However, Song Weilan was afraid that her son would give all the money to her and she would not be able to use it, so she set aside 100 million US dollars.
USD funds.
Coupled with the four to five billion US dollars lent to his mother, Ye Tian is now very confident. He doesn't even pay attention to a mere 100 million Hong Kong dollars.
"Okay, no need to say anything else, I've accepted your kindness, but I still have to give you the money."
Seeing that Tang Wenyuan still wanted to explain, Ye Tian waved his hand and his eyes were suddenly attracted by a page in the catalog, "Old Tang, is this the scripture you are talking about?"
Although Christie's is also a large auction house with a history of one or two hundred years, it was established 22 years later than Sotheby's and is slightly less popular than it.
The competition in the market between the two companies is very fierce. Even the auction catalogs used for promotion are beautifully printed, with enlarged recent photos under the corresponding auction lists.
Ye Tian's eyes were attracted by a set of photos at this time. They were three volumes of linear books arranged in a fan shape. The paper of the volumes was yellowed and there were traces of moths on the corners. The quality was not very good.
.
But on the cover of the classic book placed at the top, there are four words "Kaiyuan Taoist Canon" written clearly. Under these four words, there are two small words "Dongzhen". After seeing these, Ye Tian's eyes suddenly changed.
It cannot be moved away from the top.
The so-called "Tao Zang" is actually the same as the "Shu Zang" inherited in Ye Tian's mind. It is a collection of Taoist scriptures. It is a large-scale Taoist series that compiles many classics according to a certain compilation intention, collection scope and organizational structure, including
Taoist books since Zhou and Qin Dynasties and Taoist classics since the Six Dynasties.
From the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Lu Xiujing's Taoist "Catalog of Three Cave Scriptures" compiled in 471 AD was the earliest prototype of "Tao Zang".
The official collection of Taoist books into "Zang" began in the Kaiyuan period of the Tang Dynasty. Since then, the Song, Jin, Yuan and Ming dynasties have compiled "Dao Zang", and the Qing Dynasty compiled "Dao Zang Ji Yao".
The content of the Taoist canon is very complex, including a large number of Taoist classics, treatises, scientific precepts, talismans, spells, fasting rituals, praises, palaces and mountains, records of gods and biographies of Taoist figures, etc.
In addition, it also includes works by hundreds of scholars, some of which are ancient books that have been lost outside Taoism, and there are also many works on ancient Chinese science and technology, such as books on medicine and health, works on internal and external elixirs, works on astronomy and calendars, etc. .
In fact, after the founding of the People's Republic of China, there were also compiled books such as "The Book of Foreign Taoism", "The Book of Dunhuang Taoism", "The Book of Chinese Taoism", etc. Ye Tian had read through all of them during this time.
However, what disappointed him was that the contents in these modern Taoist classics were ordinary and no different from ordinary Taoist scriptures. The so-called Taoist cultivation techniques in them were far worse than the inheritance in his mind.
But Ye Tian knew that the "Kaiyuan Dao Zang" in this photo was far from comparable to the modern "Tao Zang" because it was the first Dao Zang in the history of Chinese Taoism.
When Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty came to the throne, he ordered Shi Chongxuan and more than 40 people including Shi Chongxuan to compile the "Sound and Meaning of All Taoist Sutras". On this basis, in the Kaiyuan period, he sent envoys to search for Taoist sutras everywhere, added the original ones stored in Beijing, and compiled them into "Zang".
However, according to relevant records, by the end of the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties, when wars raged, these precious classics were destroyed by weapons, and no one in later generations could ever get a glimpse of them.
"Old Tang, are there only three volumes in this lot? Where did they come from?"
After seeing this photo, Ye Tian could no longer calm down, because "Kaiyuan Taoist Canon" is also called "Three Cave Qiong Gang", which is divided into three caves and thirty-six parts, namely Dongzhen, Dongxuan and Dongshen.
The sutras taught by Lord Tianbao of the Dongzhen system are called the Mahayana, the sutras taught by the Lord Lingbao of the Dongxuan system are called the Middle Vehicle, and the sutras taught by the Lord Shenbao of the Dongshen system are called the Hinayana.
The preachers corresponding to the three caves are Yuanshi Tianzun, Shangqing Lingbao Tianzun and Taiqing Daode Tianzun, who are the founders of the Three Purities of Taoism.
According to ancient legend, the Dongzhen Sutra contains the method of ascending and becoming immortal in the White Sun, but it has not been passed down, and no one in the future generations knows whether it is true or false.
So when Ye Tian saw the word "Dongzhen", his eyes immediately turned red. What he needed most at this time was to practice the exercises, and the state of refining the gods and returning to the void was not far different from becoming an immortal. , which just corresponds to the Dongzhen scriptures.
"I heard there are six volumes in total, and these three volumes are for promotional purposes."
Seeing Ye Tian's anxious look, Tang Wenyuan smiled and said: "I also inquired about their origin. They were collected from a descendant of a British family. It seems that their name is... what's the name of Stan? That person is an archaeologist. !”
Knowing that Ye Tian was interested in this kind of thing, Tang Wenyuan really asked someone to inquire. However, he was old and could not remember surnames very well. He couldn't remember the name of the person after thinking about it for a long time.
"British, archaeologist?"
After hearing Tang Wenyuan's words, Ye Tian showed a sneer on his face, "I know, the Englishman you are talking about is called Stein, you damn archaeologist, that person is a robber!"
"Yes, it's Stein." Tang Wenyuan nodded, and then asked strangely: "Why is he a robber?"
Ye Tian shook his head and asked without answering: "Do you know where this scripture comes from?"
"I don't know, haven't there been many objects exported out of our country in the past hundred years?"
Tang Wenyuan was somewhat dissatisfied with Ye Tian's words, because a large number of cultural relics were smuggled into Hong Kong every year. To be honest, most of the bronzes in his collection were purchased from these channels.
"Well, if I guess correctly, the "Kaiyuan Dao Zang" should have flowed out from Dunhuang. This Stein was the first person to steal cultural relics from the Sutra Cave in Dunhuang!"
Ye Tian sighed. In modern times, both Buddhism and Taoism have declined. Although there are many factors involved in this, the loss of classics is undoubtedly the biggest blow to the two religions.
The theft of cultural relics in Dunhuang was the most distressing incident among the two religions. After Li Shanyuan heard about this incident in the 1920s, he rushed to Dunhuang, but most of the scriptures there had been lost, which made the old man gnash his teeth.
In 1906, Stein, in the name of archeology, obtained 24 boxes of scriptures and 5 boxes of scriptures from Wang Daoren, the caretaker of the Dunhuang Scripture Cave, with only four horseshoes of silver.
Good silk paintings and embroidery works of art.
In 1914, when Stein came to China for his third archaeological "expedition", he came to Dunhuang again and obtained five large boxes of written documents through Wang Taoist and others.
Although most of the documents at that time had been transported away by the Pelliot Expedition, the Otani Expedition and the Yanjing Government, most of what Stein obtained this time had been taken out by Taoist Wang and moved to a safe place for secret storage. As a result,
Stein became the person who obtained the most documents from the Tibetan Scripture Cave.
So as soon as Ye Tian heard the word "stan", he naturally knew the origin of "Kaiyuan Taoist Canon".
Although most of the scriptures stored in the Dunhuang Scripture Cave are Buddhist classics, there are also Taoist scriptures, especially in the Sui and Tang dynasties, which was the period when Dunhuang developed best. Only the scriptures preserved here have not been destroyed by the wars of the past dynasties.
Burn.
Although most of the cultural relics Stein stole from China are now stored in the British Museum, he acquired so many scriptures that his descendants must have entrusted Christie's to auction them after seeing the popularity of Chinese art.
"Ye Tian, don't worry, I will definitely help you take pictures of these six volumes of scripture!" Seeing Ye Tian attaching such importance to it, Tang Wenyuan patted his chest.
"Is the auction going to be tomorrow? Old Tang, you should have an invitation letter in your hand, right?"
Ye Tian moved his eyes away from the album, looked at Tang Wenyuan and said: "I will participate in this auction tomorrow, Old Tang, it's not that I can't trust you, these things can never fall into the hands of others again!"
Not to mention that these volumes of "Kaiyuan Dao Zang" may contain the cultivation techniques that Ye Tian needs. Even for the master's wish, they cannot be allowed to continue to be lost abroad.
Moreover, Ye Tian has been bedridden during this period, but he was very aggrieved. Today, after getting up and walking, he felt in good condition and wanted to go out and relax.
