"Old man, if you have anything to do, just ask me. As long as I can do it, I will do my best..."
Faced with this master sculptor who was as famous as the ancient master but was already in his twilight years, Zhuang Rui respected him very much. If he hadn't considered that the rings and other jewelry were too ostentatious and his mother might not like them, Zhuang Rui would have wanted to put them away.
This piece of jade was given to the old man to be carved.
In fact, Zhuang Rui didn't know whether his spiritual energy would help the old man's trembling hands, but this was different from gambling on stones to get a few pieces of top-quality jadeite. If it was leaked, he might not have a good life.
Already.
Although Zhuang Rui has a small fortune now, he knows that there are too many people in this world who can swallow him up with no bones left, so Zhuang Rui suppresses this idea.
However, Zhuang Rui is already considering whether he should learn some acupuncture or something. Even if it is a pretense, he can conceal the existence of spiritual energy when encountering any more urgent situations in the future.
"Young man, with my old brother's skills, if you cut off the head and tail of this piece of jadeite, you should be able to cut out the material for four pendants. There will still be a little bit left at the two ends. Old man... I think it can be done.
You can’t sell the remaining jade to me. Of course, I won’t let you suffer in terms of price..."
The old man made this request, feeling a little helpless. This Stone Restaurant was all supported by his reputation. However, in recent years, the competition in the Pengcheng jade market has become fiercer. In addition, he is not feeling well, so he rarely picks up regular customers.
Their business was lost, and as a result, Shitou Zhai's popularity was much worse than before.
The old man wanted to use the scraps of Zhuang Rui's jadeite to polish a ring surface, which could be used as a treasure in the store and also relieve the pressure on his granddaughter. From his perspective, what could he do to this piece of jadeite?
What kind of thing is made and how much material will be left can basically be determined at a glance.
Zhuang Rui did not agree directly, but asked the old man: "Old man, what other objects can be made with the materials left behind?"
The old man took the jadeite on the table into his hand, gestured back and forth, and said: "I can still make two rings the size of a small fingernail, or two pairs of smaller earrings. If there are more, I'm afraid there's nothing I can do."
"earrings?"
Zhuang Rui's heart moved. He knew that his mother had pierced ears, but he had never seen her wearing earrings. In addition to pendants, it would also be a good idea to make a pair of earrings for her. With her temperament,
Wearing such a pair of earrings will definitely look good.
"Old man, to be honest with you, I had no intention of selling this jade at all, but now that you have spoken, let's do it. If I can save the material for two rings, I will make a pair of earrings for each one.
I’ll give you the other one, is that okay?”
After Zhuang Rui thought for a while, he expressed his thoughts. Although he respected the old man very much, he would not use his own things to do favors.
"Okay, okay, you bring back the rest of the materials. I'll help you with the earrings. I'll call Lao Gu. If he can't save this little material, I'll have to go to Beijing to scold him one day.
"
After hearing Zhuang Rui's words, the old man stood up tremblingly with excitement. This is a good thing that kills two birds with one stone. Since he has fulfilled his dream of carving imperial green jade, he can also leave a ring to support his appearance. The old man
I feel very satisfied in my heart.
"Old man, I'd better talk about this myself..."
Seeing that the old man looked like he was about to make a phone call, Zhuang Rui quickly stopped him. If this call was made by the old man to Uncle Gu, he would definitely be the first to take the initiative. If he has a good item and doesn't show it to his own people first, it will inevitably take a while.
chatter.
"Yes, yes, you can tell yourself. As for how you met me, the old man, in this way... you can just say that you and my granddaughter are classmates, well, that's it, you young people should get closer to each other, haha..."
The old man has lived for such a long time, and he understood Zhuang Rui's meaning after just a moment's thought, and secretly praised this young man for his etiquette and reasonableness.
"Close?"
Zhuang Rui looked at the girl next to him. Although she looked good and had a sweet smile, Zhuang Rui had no intention of provoking her. Qin Xuanbing's two phone calls a day and the occasional greetings from Officer Miao had already given Zhuang Rui a headache.
"I'll call Uncle Gu when I get back. By the way, old man, I also want to ask you where there are more master carvers for this jade. I also have some other materials that I would like to ask someone to carve."
Zhuang Rui thought about his piece of red jade wool. Sooner or later, after untying it, he would still have to ask someone to carve it. There was a lot of jade in it, and he could get seventeen or eight pieces of bracelet material. He couldn't bother Gu again.
Master, right?
"Haha, the best jade carver in the world is Yangzhou. I am a carver from Yangzhou. If you have a lot of materials, you can go to Yangzhou and hire some masters." The old man mentioned his inheritance, his face filled with emotion.
A proud look.
Zhuang Rui had also heard of the Yangzhou carving workers, but he didn’t have many friends there. Only a ghost would follow him when he ran away with his eyes darkened, so he continued: "Old man, when you see him, can you introduce him to me?"
Two masters, the price is not a problem, as long as they are willing to come."
"Master? Haha, the people who can be called masters now are all a few years younger than me. They won't come out for money, but don't worry. When your material is solved, I will ask an apprentice to come over and help you carve it.
, his craftsmanship is not much worse than mine back then, and he is now one of the best carvers in Yangzhou."
The old man gave Zhuang Rui reassurance. Several of his apprentices in other places are now independent in various jewelry companies. As long as Zhuang Rui can afford the price, if he opens his mouth, the apprentices will definitely give the master some face.
, and they are all between thirty and forty years old, which is the golden age for craftsmanship.
"Is Uncle Gu also a Yangzhou carver?" Zhuang Rui was a little curious. It seems that the inheritance of masters from the south to the north is different. The younger generation is always very keen on the gossip of the elders.
"No, Brother Gu is from the Beigong sect..."
Seeing that Zhuang Rui was a little puzzled, the old man continued: "Since ancient times, jade carving has been divided into northern and southern craftsmanship. The northern craftsmanship is centered in Beijing, also known as Beijing craftsmanship; the southern craftsmanship is centered in Suzhou, also known as Su craftsmanship or Su craftsmanship.
It was made in Yangzhou, and my old brother was made in Beijing."
"Is there any difference between the two?" Zhuang Rui really didn't know anything about carving.
"Haha, the difference is huge. The craftsmanship in the south is exquisite and the details are realistic and delicate, especially in the jade ornaments.
Northern craftsmanship mostly uses concise knife techniques, usually leaving a large area on the jade, forming the characteristics of "sparse enough for running, fine and airtight". With just a few knifes, the shapes of characters, flowers, birds and animals can be vividly outlined.
The second is the difference in shape, let me give you an analogy."
The old man stood up and walked to the safe, took out an object and placed it in front of Zhuang Rui.
"This is the famous "Squirrel Eating Grapes" among the carvers of the Qing Dynasty. In the north, a large leaf is usually used as the base to highlight the shape of the grape on the surface. But as you see in this piece, the whole grape is carefully carved out, and the bottom of the grape is
The jade is hollowed out."
The old man turned this exquisite jade carving over and pointed out the hollow area inside for Zhuang Rui to take a closer look.
"Our southern craftsmen have always been "sparing about good materials" and can sacrifice unnecessary parts for a fine product; while northern craftsmen are more "sparing about materials" and try to keep the integrity of the jade material as much as possible. Like this "squirrel eating grapes", it weighs 400
Fifty-eight grams, if it were replaced by a carver from Beijing, at least 600 grams of weight would be left.
From an artistic point of view, southern craftsmen strive for perfection and perfection, but now the materials of Hotan jade and jade are gradually decreasing. Most collectors or consumers use weighing as one of the standards for measuring jade carvings, so southern
Today’s carving techniques have also been borrowed from many of the techniques of Jingzuo carvers.
It’s just that in the current jade market, southerners account for 80%, while northerners only account for less than 20%, and they are shrinking.”
"Isn't it? The gap is so big? Then why is Master Gu still so famous?"
Zhuang Rui was startled by the old man's words. This Beijing carver was a bit unsatisfactory.
The old man smiled and said: "The main reason is that in the third generation of the Qing Dynasty, the emperors recognized Yangzhou carvers, so now, the price of Yangzhou carvers is higher than that of Beigong, and there is also the ratio of jade carving talents in the south.
There are many people in the north, and there are many successors, and jade carving has already formed an industrialization, which is developing very well and has a wide influence. However, the number of practitioners in the north is decreasing day by day, and it is difficult to achieve scale.
There are still many people with my level in Yangzhou, but among the current Jingzuo carvers, Gu Di is like a tree that can support the sky. If it weren’t for him, haha, no one would even mention Jingzuo carvers.
."
It can be seen that the old man is very proud that he was born in Yangzhou, but he also highly respects the craftsmanship of the ancient man.
After listening to the old man's explanation, Zhuang Rui finally understood the inside story of this carving industry. He knew that the old man was the only one in Jingzuo. No wonder he had such a high status in the industry.
In fact, Zhuang Rui still thought of his uncle in a simple way. Gu Tianfeng was not only extremely talented in carving, but also an expert in identifying and appreciating jade, which is why he has been prosperous for decades. His reputation in the jade industry
His status is similar to that of the master named Aixinjueluo in the antique world.
Although the purpose of this trip was not achieved, Zhuang Rui also benefited a lot. After bidding farewell to the old man, he drove back home. Zhuang Rui picked up the phone but hesitated. He had just arrived home two days ago, and the white lion was still there.
If you are sick, should you go to Beijing immediately?
"Let's make a phone call first to calm down..."
I don't usually burn incense, but it's a bit rude to rush to the Buddha's feet. After thinking about it, Zhuang Rui dialed the old man's number.
