Walking among the rows of shelves filled with exquisite porcelain, Zhuang Rui felt as if he had arrived at the palace building of the ancient Ouchi. The time was staggered hundreds of years ago, and countless people wearing ancient clothes were busy in front of him.
The production process of Chinese porcelain is extremely complicated. The creation of a piece of exquisite porcelain has to go through countless processes, coupled with the changes of historical dynasties. It can be said that every piece of porcelain has a story hidden in it. With so many porcelains, it is like a piece of porcelain.
Living history.
Zhuang Rui released the spiritual energy in his eyes. Wherever he entered his eyes, there were white, yellow, red and purple colors everywhere. There was no need to deliberately observe. The spiritual colors in the porcelain were reflected in Zhuang Rui's eyes. Zhuang Rui felt faintly.
, it seems that the aura in the eyes has become active.
I don't know whether it's because there are too many antiques or for some other reason, but these spaces filled with porcelain seem to be filled with aura everywhere. The aura in Zhuang Rui's eyes merged with it as soon as it escaped from the body.
"Is it going to evolve again?"
Feeling the commotion of spiritual energy, Zhuang Rui was surprised and happy.
Zhuang Rui gave every change in the aura in his eyes a name, called evolution. Because the quality of the aura in his eyes seemed to be getting higher and higher, it seemed difficult to absorb it from other antiques, so after returning from Myanmar, it had always been
Stalled.
Although his eyes have experienced several changes, Zhuang Rui still hasn't figured out any pattern. Every time it happens, it's so sudden. Now Zhuang Rui has no choice but to wait for the aura in his eyes and the ubiquitous things in this space.
After the spiritual energy merged, he returned to his eyes.
The last time he was in the Burmese Pagoda Forest, he sat there all afternoon. Zhuang Rui was afraid that if he didn't stand there all afternoon, things would be a bit troublesome, so he tried it to see if he could recall his spiritual energy.
What surprised Zhuang Rui was that the aura instantly separated from the aura in this space following his thoughts and returned to his eyes.
At the same time that the spiritual energy entered his eyes, Zhuang Rui felt as if his eyes were being washed by warm water. It was extremely comfortable, and Zhuang Rui couldn't help but moan in a low voice.
After two or three minutes, Zhuang Rui opened his eyes again, and after releasing the spiritual energy, he found that the spiritual energy could no longer absorb and fuse with the rich atmosphere in this space, and there seemed to be no change.
"how so?"
Zhuang Rui was stunned for a moment, then looked into the distance. The aura in his eyes suddenly passed through the thick walls of the castle and came outside. Zhuang Rui saw Qin Xuanbing, accompanied by the butler, taking the white lion for a walk.
The white lion was particularly sensitive to the aura in Zhuang Rui's eyes. When the aura came close to him, he couldn't help but sneeze. Then he broke away from Qin Xuanbing's hand and looked suspiciously at the air in front. He felt Zhuang Rui's presence, but
He couldn't see Zhuang Rui again, so he couldn't help but feel a little impatient.
Zhuang Rui saw the white lion's behavior and quickly used his spiritual energy to move around the white lion's body. When the white lion was shaking his head comfortably, he took the spiritual energy back.
"This... is almost 100 meters away, right?"
After Zhuang Rui withdrew his gaze, his face was full of surprise. Although the spiritual energy failed to advance, the distance it was released was further, from 30 meters to 100 meters, which was increased by more than three times.
But now is not a good time to observe spiritual energy. Zhuang Rui is still thinking about signing an agreement with Ezkenna to exchange collections when Peng Fei arrives tomorrow. After staying abroad for more than a week, Zhuang Rui is a little homesick.
Zhuang Rui was stunned for a short time. From the side of Ezkenna, Zhuang Rui seemed to be intoxicated in the sea of porcelain. It is understandable to behave like this when he encounters an object he likes.
After coming back to his senses, Zhuang Rui began to clean the porcelain on the shelf. Since there were too many, he had no way and didn't have much time to check them one by one. He simply used his spiritual energy to distinguish the intensity of the colors in the porcelain.
, only look at porcelain with purple aura.
"Engraved Plum Vase at Ding Kiln in the Northern Song Dynasty..."
Suddenly, Zhuang Rui's eyes lit up, and a plum vase with a narrow neck and a small mouth came into his eyes.
"Five famous kilns..."
Zhuang Rui sighed in his heart and carefully took down the plum vase, which was about 40 centimeters high, from the shelf.
Baiding porcelain is the crown of white porcelain fired in the Song Dynasty. This plum vase is milky white in color, extremely pure in color, and has not turned yellow due to the passage of time.
The glaze of the plum vase is between glassy and opalescent. The carved lines on the vase are strong, powerful, unrestrained and smooth, with a sparse layout. Most of the lines are one wide and one narrow in parallel. This is unique to porcelain carvings in the Northern Song Dynasty.
style of craftsmanship.
This is also the first time that Zhuang Rui has seen complete porcelain from the five famous kilns. If it were placed in China, this plum vase would definitely be regarded as a national first-level protected cultural relic. Even among the many cultural relics in domestic collections, it is extremely rare.
After Zhuang Rui put the plum vase back, he said to Ezkenna behind him: "Mr. Ezkenna, this plum vase can be used for transactions between us..."
"no problem!"
Ezkenna replied simply that although this piece of porcelain was considered a fine piece of art in his collection, it was nothing compared to Picasso's works.
Zhuang Rui walked forward along these wooden frames with a height of 1.56 meters. His eyes were like radar, scanning the porcelain. After only walking 5 or 6 meters away, Zhuang Rui picked out seven or eight pieces.
pieces of porcelain.
There were more than seventeen or eighty pieces that Zhuang Rui took a fancy to, but he also knew in his heart that although Ezkena wanted to get Picasso's works, these porcelains also had a price, and he couldn't be too greedy, so he endured the pain.
I put down several pieces of porcelain that I liked.
Among the porcelain selected by Zhuang Rui, in addition to the white porcelain plum vase at the beginning, there is also a purple-spotted bowl from Jun kiln in the Song Dynasty, which is said to be "one color enters the kiln and comes out with many colors". Its color is red and blue, and is intricate.
Alternate, colorful and extraordinary.
In addition, the porcelain belonging to the Song kiln includes the Southern Song Dynasty official kiln washers, the Southern Song Longquan kiln celadon chrysanthemum petal tea cup, and several other pieces of Ming Dynasty porcelain, including the Chenghua Doucai Tianzi jar and the Jiajing five-color fish bath pattern large porcelain.
jars, colorful Wanli five-color large bottles, etc.
There are only a few pieces of porcelain. Zhuang Rui appraised them in his mind. Their value must be at least 200 million RMB, and they are still priceless. In domestic auctions, these items may not be available for three to five years.
I can see one.
Especially the large Wanli five-color dragon pattern vase. Although it is slightly later than the other porcelains, its production process is extremely exquisite. The four sides are painted with Ganoderma lucidum dragon patterns, which are auspicious and auspicious decorations. The blue and white regular script on the bottom of the vase reads "Made in the Wanli Year of the Ming Dynasty."
", the font is neat and orderly.
These pieces of porcelain can be regarded as national first-class cultural relics. You know, even among the millions of collections in the Palace Museum, there are only more than 1,000 pieces that are rated as national first-class cultural relics.
That's all.
Seeing that the face of Ezkenna next to him remained as usual and did not change color due to the items Zhuang Rui selected, Zhuang Rui calmed down a little. Among the items he had selected, he would not give up any of them.
"Mr. Ezkenna, why are the blue and white flowers you listed in your list missing?"
When Zhuang Rui almost reached the end of the wooden shelf, he didn't see the Yuan blue and white porcelain he had been waiting for for a long time, so he couldn't help but ask.
Although the Yuan Dynasty only lasted for more than a hundred years, Yuan blue and white porcelain has an irreplaceable position in the history of Chinese porcelain.
Blue and white porcelain of the Yuan Dynasty ushered in a new era of transition from plain porcelain to colored porcelain. It is rich and powerful, has a bold painting style, has many layers of painting, is exquisitely made, and is rarely handed down from generation to generation, so it is extremely precious.
Zhuang Rui has never seen authentic Yuan blue and white paintings in the major museums in China that he has visited, so Zhuang Rui was excited for a long time when he saw Yuan blue and white flowers in the Ezkenner collection.
"Haha, Zhuang, you are an expert. The value of Yuan blue and white is much higher than the porcelain you just selected..."
Ezkenna smiled, took a few steps ahead, walked in front of Zhuang Rui, and took him to the end of the wooden frame. Zhuang Rui discovered that here, there was a cabinet that was only over one meter high, and above it
, there are only six pieces of porcelain in total, all of which are blue and white porcelain.
At first glance, Zhuang Rui was attracted by the blue and white porcelain jar on the top. This porcelain jar is about 278 centimeters high, with a plain base and wide feet, a straight mouth and a short neck, a slightly thick lip, and rounded shoulders and round belly.
, gradually widens below the shoulders, gradually narrows below the abdomen, and slightly tilts at the bottom.
The main decoration on the porcelain jar is "Picture of Guiguzi Descending the Mountain", which describes the story of Sun Bin's master Guiguzi, who agreed to go down the mountain to rescue the famous Qi generals Sun Bin and Dugu Chen who were trapped by the Yan State at the repeated request of the Qi envoy Su Dai.
The entire blue and white pattern is rich in color, the picture is full, the density is uniform, the priorities are clear, and the characters are depicted smoothly and naturally, full of charm, the mountains and stones are dyed heartily, and the brushstrokes are precise and perfect.
"Mr. Ezkenna, I want this blue and white porcelain jar!"
Zhuang Rui's tone was very affirmative. Even with a few Picasso sketches, he would definitely bring this Yuan blue and white figure porcelain jar back to China.
You should know that among the few surviving Yuan blue and white porcelains, those with characters and stories are even rarer. Only 8 Yuan blue and white jars with characters and stories like the "Gui Guzi Goes Down the Mountain" jar are known to have been handed down, and
None of them are domestic.
If Zhuang Rui can bring this piece of porcelain back to China, it will definitely create a sensation in the domestic collecting community, and it will also be beneficial to the opening of his museum.
"Zhuang, you also know that this figure Yuan Qinghua is very rare in the world. I only have this one..."
For the first time, Ezkenna's face showed a look of embarrassment.
Although he didn't say it clearly, Ezkenna had already expressed what he meant, that is, Zhuang Rui's six Picasso sketches alone were not enough to exchange for so much porcelain.
"Mr. Ezkenner, we are friends, and I will not let you suffer. Let's do this. This Yuan blue and white figure, plus this fish pattern blue and white porcelain jar, I will bring out six more Picasso sketches. You
What do you think?"
The blue and white porcelain jar with fish patterns that Zhuang Rui mentioned was a piece of porcelain placed next to the Guiguzi blue and white porcelain. This porcelain was painted with patterns of four fishes: mackerel, white, silver carp and mandarin fish playing in the water.
Zhuang Rui knew that in Chinese culture, the four fishes mackerel, white, silver carp and mandarin fish are homophonic to the four characters "qing, white, honest and clean".
In addition, on the shoulder of the jar, there are entwined peonies and auspicious lotus petal patterns on the feet. The mouth of the jar has a unique wavy pattern from the 14th century.
Money, flames and other patterns.
Although it is not as valuable as the Guiguzi Yuan blue and white porcelain jar, this fish pattern jar can be regarded as a fine product among the Yuan blue and white porcelain jars. It has a rich purple aura, and among Zhuang Rui's many collections, few can compare with it.
"Bring out six more Picassos?"
Ezkenna's eyes lit up, but then he said: "Zhuang, the value of this Yuan blue and white piece is not cheaper than that of the figure blue and white piece. Do you think..."
Zhuang Rui smiled bitterly when he heard this and said: "Dear Mr. Ezkenna, although there are not many blue and white Yuan blue and white urns in existence, it seems that there are still more fish-pattern jars in existence than the figure blue and white. As far as I know,
There are no less than twenty pieces, and the value of the two is incomparable..."
There are indeed several fish-pattern jars in some domestic museums. Although Zhuang Rui has never seen them, he knows where they are.
After a pause, Zhuang Rui continued: "Mr. Ezkenner, at the Paris auction three years ago, a five-sheet sketch album by Mr. Picasso was sold for US$12 million.
Now that three years have passed, you should know how much the twelve sketches I have produced will be worth, right?"
If Zhuang Rui goes by what he said and takes out twelve sketches, they can be bound into at least two volumes. And according to the current market situation of Picasso's paintings, the value of these two sketch albums is at least US$40 million.
If converted into RMB, it would be about 300 million.
Judging from the current market price of Yuan blue and white porcelain in the international auction market, the value of this Guiguzi Xiashan porcelain jar should be around 100 million RMB, while the fish pattern jar is much lower, at most around 20 million RMB.
, such a comparison, even with the addition of seven or eight other pieces of porcelain, Ezkena still seems to have an advantage.
More importantly, the Picasso works in Zhuang Rui's hands are different from these Chinese porcelains. Chinese works of art often fail to sell at international auctions.
But Ezkenna knew that if Zhuang Rui put Picasso's sketches at auction, he might not be able to pocket them even if he spent 40 million US dollars.
"Zhuang, as you said, we are friends. I think this deal between us can be concluded..."
Ezkenna was much more familiar with the prices of these items at international auctions than Zhuang Rui. In terms of price, if he did not count the porcelain he promised to give to Zhuang Rui, he still had an advantage.
Although Ezkenna has received the news that some people have been preparing to hype up Chinese porcelain in recent years, the hype hasn't started yet. Ezkenna's current intention is to get Picasso's works in his hands first.
In order to prevent Zhuang Rui from going back on his word, Ezkenna immediately said: "As a friend, dear Zhuang, I have decided to donate another 200 pieces of Chinese porcelain to enrich your upcoming museum. I hope you can accept it..."
"200 pieces?"
Zhuang Rui laughed when he heard this, stretched out his hand to Ezkenna, and said: "Thank you, I think you will definitely become my good friend. When my museum opens, I hope you can attend..."
"Definitely, I have longed for the beautiful and mysterious China for a long time..."
Ezkenna held Zhuang Rui's hand, and the two looked at each other and laughed. As for what they were thinking in their hearts, only God knows.
To be fair, it is impossible to say who lost or gained in this transaction. The porcelain selected by Zhuang Rui are all high-quality Chinese porcelain. They are extremely rare at home and abroad, and the prices have been rising over the years.
However, the Picasso sketches produced by Zhuang Rui are equally precious and sought after by many international collectors. They are also value-added works of art. As for what will be more important in the future, no one can tell now.
As for the 200 pieces of Chinese porcelain that Ezkenna took out, he has not seen the actual objects, and it is difficult for Zhuang Rui to evaluate their value. However, as far as the collection of Ezkenna is concerned, it seems that he wants to find something wrong.
They are all relatively difficult.
"Boss, you have to reimburse me for my traveling back and forth..."
In the hotel where Zhuang Rui stayed, Huangfu Yun was munching on an apple. He had been very busy these two days. After returning to New York, he immediately packed up all the collections in New York and mailed them back to China.
, and then went to a law firm to resign. All of this took only one day's work.
For his own choice, Huangfu Yun also suffered heavy losses. Several orders he had in hand had to be handed over to others, and several consulting positions arranged by the law firm were also cancelled. It can be said that he left the house.
.
"Haha, brother Huangfu, after a while, you will definitely be proud of your choice..."
Zhuang Rui laughed when he heard this. He could imagine what kind of impact and impact this collection would have on China's antique world after it appeared in his museum. Of course, all of this must be based on the opening of the museum.
Up.
"Why did I just believe your empty promise..."
Huangfu Yun muttered, took out an agreement from his bag, handed it to Zhuang Rui, and said: "The number of transaction items is blank. Can you see what else needs to be changed? If not
If so, fill in the name of the item you and Ezkenna exchanged, and you can proceed with the transaction..."
This agreement was drawn up by Huangfu Yun on the plane. Zhuang Rui took a brief look at it, nodded and said, "Okay, let's go to Ezkenna's castle in the afternoon..."
Yesterday, Zhuang Rui did not accept Ezkenna's invitation to live in his castle, mainly because he felt that the place was a little too remote and there might really be vampires at night.
"Zhuang, dear friend, I'm really happy to see you. You Chinese people all talk about holding candles and talking at night. It would be better if you didn't go back yesterday..."
The same Rolls-Royce picked up Zhuang Rui and others at the hotel. When they arrived at Ezkenna's castle, the British gentleman was already waiting at the door.
"Haha, when I have the opportunity in the future, when you go to Beijing, I will definitely do my best to serve as a landlord..."
Zhuang Rui laughed and said, "Brother, if you don't hug your wife, why are you having a candlelit night talk with a foreign devil like you at night? Isn't that sick?"
After entering the hall of the castle, Zhuang Rui found that Mr. Sterling, with whom he had some disagreements, was in the living room. There were also two people, a man and a woman. Judging from the clothes they were wearing, they should be government workers.
.
"Zhuang, these two are Alice and Gasper from the London Notary Office. They will notarize our transaction..."
Sure enough, Ezkenna's introduction confirmed Zhuang Rui's idea. The two notaries stood up and bowed slightly to Zhuang Rui and others with curious eyes.
Although Alice and Gasper don't know the origin of Zhuang Rui, it must be not easy for someone to trade with a rich man like Ezkena.
After Zhuang Rui returned the favor to the two of them, he looked at Ezkenner, handed over a drawing board folder, and said: "Mr. Picasso's 12 sketches are here. Ezkenner, you can ask Mr. Sterling to
Identified..."
After Ezkenna took the things, he laughed and said: "Zhuang, I had people sort out the porcelain you asked for yesterday. You can take a look first..."
Ezkena raised his hand, and more than 10 people placed some cardboard boxes of different sizes on the floor in front of Zhuang Rui.
"Zhuang, the porcelain I promised to give you has been placed on the truck outside and can be delivered to you at the airport at any time. If you need to check it, there is no problem..."
Zhuang Rui told Ezkenna yesterday that he would leave London today, and these porcelains on the ground are the ones that Zhuang Rui values the most and are also the most valuable, so Ezkenna said this.
.
"Mr. Ezkenna, I have always trusted my friends. There is no need to check..."
Zhuang Rui smiled and waved his hand. Before the porcelain was put down, Zhuang Rui had already verified it with his spiritual energy. It was indeed the two pieces of Yuan blue and white porcelain and Song and Ming porcelain. Ezkenna did not cheat.
As for the truck containing the other porcelain, it was parked at the entrance of the castle and was within the range of Zhuang Rui's aura. Although Zhuang Rui did not check them one by one, the aura inside showed that they were all genuine.
"Boss, yes, it is indeed the original work of Mr. Picasso..."
Eliminating Zhuang Rui's inspection process, Sterling did not take long to authenticate Picasso's works. After more than 10 minutes, he had already identified the authenticity.
After Zhuang Rui and Ezkenna signed the agreement respectively, two notaries issued a notarial certificate. The transaction, involving items worth hundreds of millions of dollars, was completed quietly.
"Mr. Ezkenna, Beijing welcomes you!"
After the transaction was completed, Zhuang Rui and Ezkenna breathed a sigh of relief at the same time.
