Speaking of this, Mr. Wang leisurely picked up the tea cup, took a sip of the fragrant tea, moistened his throat, and continued, "The Taoist priests at that time were busy cleaning and repairing the Taoist temples, and many of the tiles that had just been replaced were
They were piled in the yard, and the copper stove was half-hidden among the piles of tiles. No one would have discovered it unless someone in the audience mentioned it.
“I spent a long time digging through the pile of rubble with my bare hands before I got it out.
"How should I put it? When I first saw it, even though it was covered with dirt formed by incense ash and water, it was so dirty that it was almost difficult to see its original appearance.
“But for some reason, this copper furnace gave me an extremely strong feeling that it must be taken away and brought back to our country!
“Furthermore, whether it’s the copper material, the exquisite carving textures on the furnace body, or the color, it’s obviously different from the incense burners I’ve seen before.
"I had a vague feeling that this incense burner must be of extraordinary quality, and it was probably a Zhenxuan, so I told the temple owner that I wanted to buy it.
"At first, the owner of Chunyuan Temple was a little hesitant. After all, this is an old thing in the Taoist temple and may be used in the future. However, after my repeated persuasion and expression of my cherishment, he finally paid 8,000
I successfully bought it for US dollars.
"Of course, the money I paid is more than that. I know it is not easy to watch. In addition, I also donated 5,000 US dollars in incense money, which can be regarded as a small contribution to the inheritance of Chinese culture in a foreign country."
If you were anyone else, you would definitely be attracted by Mr. Wang’s vivid narration, as if you were immersed in the scene. With Mr. Wang’s words, the Taoist temple in the United States and the dramatic events when the copper furnace was discovered were sketched in your mind.
scene.
Shen Yu secretly shook his head in his heart.
First, Shen Yu is somewhat resistant to any antique stories.
While setting up a stall at the Dongjiang antique market, he heard too many things, most of which were made up.
Second, Shen Yu also knew very well that although the origin of this copper stove was quite interesting and full of adventures, it did not really help him in identifying the authenticity and value of this copper stove.
In the field of antique appraisal, Xuande furnace has an extremely strict definition. The wind-milled copper made in the third year of Xuande period, which was personally supervised by Zhu Zhanji, Emperor Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty, can be called a Xuande furnace in the true sense.
Even after Xuanzong's death, the craftsmen who originally cast the Xuanlu made another imitation. Although the craftsmanship was exactly the same and the copper material selected had certain merits, in a strict sense, it could not be called a genuine one.
Xuande Furnace.
Not to mention the imitations of the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China.
Therefore, even if this bronze furnace was accidentally obtained from a Taoist temple abroad, that Taoist temple was also built in the 1920s, so it would be meaningless to elaborate on it.
Unless the Taoist temple was built in the Xuande year and the bronze furnace has been preserved in the temple, it is possible that it is a genuine Xuande statue.
But at that time, let alone pure Yuan Guan, the United States did not yet have it.
Therefore, Shen Yu knew very well that he still had to rely on himself for the next appraisal.
So, he once again focused his attention on the copper stove, examining the shape, color, texture and other details of the copper stove from different angles, trying to find some key clues.
Pei Yuqin asked in a low voice from the side: "Qinan, is it really Xuan Lu?"
Shen Yu smiled at his sister Qin, "It's hard to say yet. From the appearance, this copper furnace does have some characteristics of Xuande furnace, but to determine whether it is genuine Xuande furnace, it will take some time to observe it carefully. details."
Pei Yuqin leaned forward slightly, slowly stretched out her small hand as soft as mutton-fat jade, and gently and affectionately shook Shen Yu's arm.
Then he leaned forward slightly, brought the orchid-like breath close to Shen Yu's ears, and said dotingly: "It's all for me that you have worked so hard. If you can't tell, don't force it. Qinan, you've been too busy these past two days." Thanks for your hard work."
Shen Yu smiled warmly, "What are you talking about? Isn't it natural to work hard for my wife? If I don't work hard for my wife, why should I help strangers?
"Besides, appraising treasures is a pleasure in itself for me, and appraising such old objects is even more of a blessing.
"You must know that this kind of opportunity is not available to everyone. Let alone talking and drinking tea with Mr. Gu and Mr. Wang face to face, I'm afraid I won't be able to get in."
Pei Yuqin was amused by Shen Yu's affectionate and funny words and burst into laughter. At this moment, she was more delicate than Hua Hua, which instantly dispelled the slightly solemn atmosphere in the room.
Shen Yu helped Pei Yuqin get some pastries and poured a cup of hot tea, then slowly returned his eyes to the copper stove on the table.
To be honest, Shen Yu felt that this bronze furnace was 70% likely to be a Zhenxuan.
Relatively speaking, 70% is already a very high probability.
First of all, this copper stove spares no expense, that is, it is willing to use copper.
This point is extremely important in the process of identifying the authenticity of Xuande furnace.
Copper was a symbol of wealth in ancient times and was equivalent to currency.
Many so-called xuan stoves on the market have pitifully thin walls and lack the heaviness they should have, and even more so, the soles are thin and weak, completely lacking the heaviness the real thing should have.
You must know that the Xuanlu was made for the emperor of the Ming Dynasty. The emperor was seated all over the world and was rich in the world. How could the utensils he used be stingy in copper materials?
This alone can wipe out a lot.
As for the copper stove in front of you, you can clearly feel its weight and texture from the feel. It is heavy and gives people a solid and reliable feeling. This shows that the craftsmen used a sufficient amount of copper during casting.
This is a very positive signal, and it also makes Shen Yu's judgment of its authenticity more biased towards the genuine product.
Of course, Shen Yu also knew that relying on this alone was not enough.
The main reason is that the color of the outer and inner walls of this copper furnace is exactly the same as the color of the legendary Xuan furnace.
The outer wall is the color of a chestnut shell, and after the inner wall is polished, a gleaming precious light appears.
This is no different from the Xuande furnace recorded in many ancient books.
But Shen Yu also had a big question in his heart.
That is because Mr. Wang seemed to have spent too much US dollars on buying this copper stove.
It does not refer to the $5,000 that Mr. Wang generously donated after buying the copper stove.
Mr. Wang, as the brother of the shipping king of Hong Kong Island, is also a highly cultivated cultural person. In a foreign country, he accidentally encountered a Taoist temple that adheres to Chinese culture, and the temple owner worked so hard to maintain the operation of the Taoist temple, even though he donated 50 Wan, Shen Yu would not be surprised at all.
After all, for a man with both status and financial resources like Mr. Wang, his support for cultural inheritance and his sympathy for traditional Taoism are enough to motivate him to do such a good deed.
What Shen Yu was confused about was the $8,000 that Mr. Wang spent on purchasing the copper furnace itself. He felt that there was something wrong with this expense.