When the last box of four gold wine glasses was salvaged, the Ord immediately began to return, and everyone came to the restaurant to have dinner.
This dinner was extremely sumptuous to celebrate the extremely rich harvest. Although drinking was not allowed, most of the crew members' faces were flushed with excitement, and bursts of hearty laughter broke out from time to time.
"Xue Chen, you have selected three favorites from the salvaged varieties?" Andrew asked.
"Yeah." Xue Chen nodded in agreement.
While salvaging, he helped clean up and considered the selections, and finally selected three items from the sea that he was quite satisfied with.
"Haha, after dinner, I must go and take a look. If you like it, it must be a good thing." Andrew said with a smile.
"Yes, there must have been thousands of things salvaged this time. I was dazzled by them all. Each one seems to me to be a very good thing, but the one Xue Chen picked must be the most representative among them.
It's a fine product." Amanda looked at Xue Chen with soft beautiful eyes, with a sweet smile on her face.
At this time, the noisy crew members at the other three tables in the restaurant quieted down. Hans, a white man with a bear-like figure, stood up, scratched his hair with his big furry hands, and looked at Xue Chen a little embarrassed.
Opened his mouth.
“Mr.
Hans picked up the cup, gestured to Xue Chen, and drank it all in one gulp.
Other crew members who had disrespected Xue Chen behind his back also brought juices and water and apologized to Xue Chen. Everyone's expressions were very sincere.
At first, the crew members were jealous of Amanda being around Xue Chen and provoked Xue Chen. However, they were severely punished, making them realize that this Chinese boy from the East was not simple and not easy to bully.
Later, Xue Chen helped find the cargo of the sunken Oasis, which completely changed their view of Xue Chen. It could even be said that they were in awe, because Xue Chen was so mysterious that they did not dare to behave disrespectfully.
It was precisely because of Xue Chen that they returned home with great success and could receive a large bonus when they returned. Naturally, they became grateful to Xue Chen and regretted what they had done.
Xue Chen picked up the water glass and took a sip of water. In return, he simply said: "Let the past be in the past."
Adelaide said cheerfully at the right time: "Everyone has worked hard these days. Take a good rest and enjoy the journey back."
After dinner, not only Andrew and Amanda, but also Adelaide followed to the cabin bedroom where Xue Chen gathered, wanting to take a serious look at which three salvaged items Xue Chen had selected.
Xue Chen had packed the three salvaged items he had selected into thick cardboard boxes that were well prepared on the salvage ship, and placed them one by one beside the bed.
"That's it for these three."
Xue Chen picked it up and put it on the bed, opened the carton and let the three people take a look.
The three of them looked at it one by one. First they took out a rather large piece of porcelain from the carton, which was more than thirty centimeters in height. It was a jar with a straight mouth, short neck, plump shoulders, and bulging belly.
It has a flat bottom, a round body, and a round cover on top.
"This should be blue and white porcelain, right?" Andrew said.
"Yes, this is a blue and white porcelain official kiln general jar from the Daoguang period." Xue Chen said truthfully, looking at the jar with very satisfied eyes.
There are at least two thousand pieces of porcelain salvaged, but only one out of ten is intact. And this general jar is more than thirty centimeters high. It has no damage except for the corrosion of sea water. It can be said to be very rare. In the end, it is very rare.
The wonderful thing is that the lid is not missing either!
"General jar? Is it a jar that can only be used by generals who lead troops in war? No wonder it is so beautiful. Look, there are two white cranes painted on it." Amanda said with a slight smile.
"No, the general jar is not for generals." Xue Chen smiled and shook his head.
Adelaide speculated: "I think this jar must have a lot of uses."
Xue Chen said with a smile but not a smile: "The purpose of the General Jar is indeed not simple. At first, there was only one access to the General Jar, which is equivalent to the current... urn."
Urn?!
Hearing that Xue Chen's beautiful jar had the same function as the urn, the three people put their hands on it to touch and appreciate it and all moved away.
"Using it as an urn, this... I really didn't expect it." Adelaide said with some embarrassment.
Xue Chen smiled and said: "The General Jar was once a special vessel in Buddhist temples, used to hold the ashes of monks and nuns after their death. However, in the late Ming Dynasty, because the General Jar was tall and straight, rich and handsome, the outer wall depicts
With many exquisite patterns, it was gradually used as a decoration by more people and displayed at home. The reason why it was named the General Jar is probably because the lid of the General Jar looks very similar to the helmet worn by the general.
shape."
He put his hand on the general jar, and he also liked it. He once said that he would rather have a chicken head than a phoenix tail. At that time, a piece of blue and white porcelain from a folk kiln was placed in front of him. He did not want it, and he made up his mind.
, since you collect it, you must collect its fine products.
Now, he finally did it.
This general jar is undoubtedly the finest blue and white porcelain produced in the official kiln during the Daoguang period!
At the bottom are six characters made in the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty, divided into three lines, in seal script, with powerful fonts, thick strokes, neat arrangement, and gold inlays, which are authentic official kiln goods.
According to his understanding, similar funds were used by Emperor Daoguang or for private use by princes, and were definitely not accessible to ordinary people.
It can be said that a lot of Daoguang blue and white porcelain has been salvaged, and there are only less than twenty pieces from the official kiln. This general jar is undoubtedly the best one.
The white ground and blue flowers on the jar depict a pond full of water and grass, with two vivid cranes singing across their necks. The meaning is also very auspicious, symbolizing beauty and reunion.
In the porcelain of the Qing Dynasty, the pictures must be meaningful and the meanings must be auspicious.
Adelaide praised: "Mr. Xue is indeed engaged in the antique business. He is indeed knowledgeable and discerning."
After admiring the Daoguang blue and white porcelain official kiln general jar and putting it back into the box, Andrew opened the second box, which turned out to be a cloisonné enamel vessel.
"I know this thing is Ruyi." Andrew took out the utensil from the carton. It was none other than a Ruyi handle, made of filigree enamel.
"It's so heavy." Amanda held it with both hands and exclaimed.
"Filigree enamel is made of copper, so it is naturally much heavier." Xue Chen said.
Cloisonné enamel was most prosperous during the three dynasties of the Qing Dynasty, that is, the Kangxi, Qianlong, and Yongzheng periods, especially the Yongzheng period, which was the most glorious. However, toward the end of the Qing Dynasty, the craftsmanship of cloisonné enamel declined even more.
One reason is that the national power of the Qing Dynasty began to decline, coupled with the regression of craftsmanship, it was no longer purely handmade, but some mechanical processing was used.
This cloisonné enamel Ruyu piece is generally good, with a beautiful shape, a gilt surface, and large flowers rendered in red, blue, and pink colors. The Ruyu handle is even inlaid with a small fingernail-sized piece.
The ice jade serves as the icing on the cake and adds the finishing touch, adding a touch of elegance to this originally golden cloisonné enamel piece.
Although it has been corroded by nearly two hundred years of immersion in sea water, it still has an air of grandeur and luxury.
This cloisonné enamel jade is also a product of the Daoguang period, but its value is much lower than the previous Daoguang blue and white porcelain official kiln general jar.
Among the other salvaged items, there were many items that were more valuable than this jade-like cloisonné enamel, but he didn't pick any more because he was already content.
Andrew promised him to choose any three items. In addition to the General Jar, there was one last item, but it was also Xue Chen's favorite one, even more than the General Jar.
While Amanda was admiring the cloisonné enamel, Adelaide opened the last carton and took out the third object selected by Xue Chen.
"Is this an ivory cup?" Adelaide looked at it in her hand and asked.
"Mr. Adelaide has good eyesight. It is indeed an ivory cup." Xue Chen squinted his eyes.
"Hey, this cup is really not small." Andrew said with a smile.
This ivory quilt is twenty centimeters high!
But Andrew was also a little suspicious. Although ivory was not cheap, it was not particularly expensive either. Xue Chen actually chose an ivory product, which surprised him a little.
"Xue Chen, tell us the difference of this ivory cup. I think since you picked it, it must not be just a simple ivory cup." Amanda asked with a soft smile.
Taking the ivory cup, Xue Chen held it in his hand and gently stroked the outer skin of the ivory cup.
This ivory cup is very well made. The outside of the cup is divided into upper and lower parts. The upper part has a complex Taotie pattern and is decorated with turquoise. The lower part has a Kui pattern and agate stones are embedded into the cup body as decoration.
There are two layers, each with its own uses, but equally exquisite. It is extremely difficult and well-intentioned.
He rubbed the cup, said wait a moment, walked to the bathroom, and came back soon.
Andrew saw at a glance that the ivory cup was filled with water, and said with a smile: "Xue Chen, do you want to use the ivory cup to treat us to drink water? You can't drink the water in the bathroom, but drinking is okay."
"It's not for you to drink, but for you to watch." Xue Chen placed the ivory cup filled with water on the table and motioned for the three of them to come closer and watch.
"From my point of view, looking from the top to the bottom of the cup." Xue Chen gestured to Andrew, then took a step back to get out of the way.
"Look at the bottom of the cup?" Andrew followed the instructions in confusion. At first, he frowned and didn't understand what he meant. But after a few seconds, his eyes suddenly widened and he exclaimed, "This is..."