While reflecting light, the mirror also had a light-condensing effect. The beam of light shining on the wall was obviously much brighter than the light bulb above his head. However, Zhuang Rui vaguely seemed to see something in that beam of light.
Zhuang Rui calmed down, took a few steps closer to the wall, then picked up the mirror, tilted the mirror slightly, and then reflected a beam of light to the wall. This time, Zhuang Rui's hand did not shake. He really only had a slap from the ball.
A trace of influence can be seen in the large and small light beams.
In that beam of light, Zhuang Rui saw a pattern of a Bodhisattva sitting on a lotus. Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva with high temples on her head and flowing clothes, sitting on a lotus base with a peaceful expression, holding a pure vase, with a kind face, eyes slightly closed, and a
An expression of compassion and mercy.
This pattern was not very clear. Just when Zhuang Rui was in agitated mood and moved his hand a little, the picture of Guanyin disappeared.
"This...how is this possible?"
Zhuang Rui exclaimed in his heart, he had never heard that patterns could be displayed in bronze mirrors? When he looked at the mirror just now, he didn't find anything?
Zhuang Rui immediately turned the bronze mirror over and carefully observed the mirror surface. He found that the mirror surface was extremely smooth and there was no pattern of Guanyin. However... Zhuang Rui could also confirm the image that appeared on the wall.
It's definitely not my own imagination.
After taking a deep breath, Zhuang Rui calmed down and looked at the mirror. As the spiritual energy seeped into the bronze mirror, a strange feeling arose in Zhuang Rui's heart.
The moment the spiritual energy entered the mirror, Zhuang Rui felt that the bronze mirror seemed to come alive. The original fine grinding texture on the mirror was infinitely magnified in Zhuang Rui's eyes.
Zhuang Rui discovered that these textures were slightly different in depth. It should be these differences that caused the image of the Guanyin Bodhisattva to appear under the reflection of the light. Although he had never heard of this,
But Zhuang Rui felt that he should have discovered a great treasure.
Bronze mirrors are mirrors made of copper in ancient times, also known as bronze mirrors. In ancient times, people used water to reflect their faces. After the invention of bronzeware, they used copper basins to hold water to reflect their faces.
In pre-Qin works such as "Shangshu", "Guoyu", and "Zhuangzi", it was mentioned that the ancients were "in view of water". The ancient saying "Jian" means "basin", so it can be said that the basin (Jian) holding water is
The earliest mirror.
With the emergence of alloy technology, starting from the Yin and Shang Dynasties, there has been a history of using copper and tin or silver and lead to make bronze mirrors. Bronze mirrors are generally made into circles or squares, with inscriptions and patterns cast on the back and accompanied by buttons.
It is tied with a thread, and the front is polished with lead and tin to be bright and can be seen clearly.
Bronze mirrors from the Shang Dynasty, the Western Zhou Dynasty and the Spring and Autumn Period have been found sporadically in all archaeological studies in China. They became popular during the Warring States Period and the output increased greatly.
By the Han Dynasty, due to the large demands of daily life and the rapid economic prosperity after the middle of the Western Han Dynasty, the production of bronze mirrors had undergone a qualitative leap. The bronze mirrors produced were exquisite in craftsmanship, thick in texture, with inscriptions on the back of the mirror, and rich and diverse patterns. Later in the Tang Dynasty
There were two development peaks in the Song Dynasty.
It lasted until the Ming and Qing Dynasties. With the birth of modern glass, bronze mirrors gradually faded out of the stage of history.
In ancient times, bronze mirrors were closely related to people's daily life. They were indispensable living utensils and exquisite handicrafts. Nowadays, the bronze mirrors collected in some large museums are well-made, beautiful in shape and pictures. With gorgeous patterns and rich inscriptions, it is a treasure among my country's ancient cultural heritage.
The Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period were a period of maturity and great development in the development history of ancient Chinese bronze mirrors. It was a transitional stage for ancient Chinese bronze mirrors from simplicity to maturity. It was also an important period when the casting center of bronze mirrors began to migrate from the north to the south.
.
During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, bronze mirrors developed rapidly and comprehensively on the basis of the three dynasties (Xia, Shang, and Zhou). Both the casting technology and the quantity of bronze mirrors were greatly exceeded before.
By the Qin and Han Dynasties, the largest number of bronze mirrors were unearthed and they were widely used. Han mirrors were not only more numerous than those during the Warring States Period, but also had great development in production forms and artistic expression techniques.
As for the bronze mirrors of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, there have been new developments compared with the previous generation. The tin component was increased in the copper alloy, and the texture of the bronze mirrors became silvery and bright, which was both beautiful and practical.
By the Song, Jin and Yuan Dynasties, there were no major breakthroughs in the production technology of bronze mirrors. Most of them continued the styles of the Han and Tang Dynasties, with only some additional historical stories, bronze mirrors, etc.
In recent years, the number of people collecting bronze mirrors has been increasing, and the prices have been rising year by year. It is normal for a good-looking bronze mirror from the Han and Tang Dynasties to fetch a million dollars, and some mirrors with inheritance are even more expensive.
More than ten million.
If anyone could find the bronze mirror in the story of the two halves of a broken mirror being reunited, I'm afraid its value would be immeasurable based on the background of the story.
According to the history of the development of bronze mirrors, Zhuang Rui can almost conclude that this bronze mirror must be from the Sui and Tang Dynasties. The reason is very simple. Buddhism was introduced to China after the late Han Dynasty and the Five Dynasties, and developed during the Sui and Tang Dynasties.
To be able to express the Buddha statue of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva with such painstaking efforts and grinding patterns on bronze mirrors, I am afraid that except for the Sui and Tang Dynasties when Buddhism was popular, no one would have spent such a great effort.
It's just that Zhuang Rui doesn't know why this rare bronze mirror ended up abroad? And for so many years, no one has discovered the mystery in it.
"Going abroad to exploit the treasures of your own country..."
Zhuang Rui smiled mockingly, although in terms of the preservation of cultural relics, those Dunhuang scriptures and the bronze mirror in front of him might not be better preserved if they were left abroad, because during the ten years of turmoil in the country, I don’t know if there were any
How many cultural relics were reduced to ashes.
But psychologically speaking, Zhuang Rui would rather have the treasures collected in foreign museums burned than see the development process of his country's civilization from other countries, because it is a silent ridicule, reminding
The humiliation China endured a hundred years ago.
"What's the price of this piece of metal?"
Zhuang Rui shook his head, and after recovering his thoughts, he held up the bronze mirror and raised it up to Renault. He was bullying Renault for not understanding this thing, and deliberately said that the bronze mirror was a piece of metal.
"Oh, no, sir, this is a mirror from your country. In our country, there are also mirrors made of metal like this. They are very expensive. They are definitely not iron sheets..."
Zhuang Rui didn't expect that Renault knew something about this thing, but listening to his voice, he didn't know much. He immediately said: "Just think of it as a mirror, but can you see yourself in the mirror?"
Zhuang Rui's words made Renault a little speechless. Although the bronze mirror was smooth, it became a little blurry due to oxidation. At most, it could only reflect a person's silhouette. It was indeed very different from those foreign metal mirrors made in the 16th and 17th centuries.
big difference.
To be honest, foreign definitions of works of art, apart from calligraphy and painting, pay great attention to practical value. However, the back of this bronze mirror is stained with rust and the mirror surface is blurred. First, it has no artistic appreciation value, and second, it has no practical value.
Everyone in the room lost their status, and Renault really couldn't find anything to say to refute Zhuang Rui.
"Mr. Renault, if you regard it as a treasure, then you should keep it for yourself..."
Zhuang Rui saw Renault standing there with a hesitant look on his face, so he threw the bronze mirror in his hand on the table. Of course, it was not with the mirror facing up, because Zhuang Rui was afraid of damaging the grinding pattern of the Guanyin statue.
"2,000 euros, if you can pay this price, I will sell it to you..."
Renault gritted his teeth and named a higher price in his mind.
"2,000 euros?"
Zhuang Rui frowned slightly. 2,000 euros is about 20,000 RMB. Not to mention the mystery in the mirror, just based on the appearance of this bronze mirror, it is a bit expensive.
"Well, if you can tell me the origin of this bronze mirror and the price of 2,000 euros, I think I can still accept it..."
Zhuang Rui asked this because he wanted to know the origin of this bronze mirror and see if he could determine the origin of this bronze mirror.
Because this bronze mirror is so rare, it is definitely not possible for ordinary people to grind the mirror surface into a statue of Guanyin without being able to observe it with the naked eye.
After hearing what Zhuang Rui said, Renault shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, sir, this thing was collected by my grandfather and has always been kept here, but I seem to have heard him say that this stone statue comes with a bronze mirror.
…”
Zhuang Rui was a little disappointed. According to Renault, this was most likely something that those gangsters robbed from a temple in China, because monks also use mirrors. Maybe this thing was the monk in the temple.
Find something made by a skilled craftsman.
It's just that the Buddha's head was so badly damaged that Zhuang Rui couldn't find any clues about it, and there were so many temples in China that he couldn't find out which temple the Buddha's head came from.
Shaking his head helplessly, Zhuang Rui took out 2,000 euros from his handbag and handed it to Renault. He then carefully placed the bronze mirror in the bag and wrapped several layers of paper towels on the mirror, for fear that the mirror would be damaged.
After the transaction was completed, Renault also learned Zhuang Rui's name. Seeing Zhuang Rui constantly looking at the Buddha head, he said, "Mr. Zhuang, don't you want this bronze mirror?"
"Oh, no, I'm not interested in that, but can I take some photos? Maybe I can introduce it to my friends who like it..."
The spiritual energy in the Buddha's head is already very weak, and there is no clue from the appearance. It is almost like a piece of broken stone. Zhuang Rui does not like this thing.
"Mr. Reno, do you have any paintings or other works of art here?"
After arriving for a long time, Zhuang Rui felt a little unwilling to accept that the items he received were from his own country.
