Chapter 7, Antique Appreciation Conference
Not long after, Chu Yang's blue and white porcelain vase was also brought up for appraisal. As he had expected, this antique was indeed an authentic Yuan dynasty blue and white piece
I only need to choose one, after all, I can only take one up for appreciation later..." Chu Yang merely smiled slightly and did not provide further explanation to the fat man Jin
Old Man Ma smiled faintly and nodded. He took out a checkbook from his pocket, wrote a few lines, tore it off, and walked in front of Chu Yang, saying with a smile: "Young man, you have a good eye. Come visit my home sometime." A business card was tucked in the lower right corner of the check.
Oh, what a grand gesture! Do you think you are the only one with money? The old man is offering 2,500,000!" The bespectacled elder was unfazed and immediately added another 500,000.
Thus, everyone in the exhibition hall focused their attention on the elderly man wearing glasses. If the bidding were to continue, it is estimated that the two old men would drive the price to an astronomical figure!
"Mr. Chu, may I ask if this Yuan blue and white porcelain is being auctioned on-site?" Zhou Xianmao inquired with a smile
"Let the auction begin here!" Chu Yang responded from below the stage. His initial intention in purchasing this blue and white porcelain vase was purely monetary. Of course, he was also eager to discover its true value.
After a short while, the venue gradually filled with guests, and then a middle-aged man dressed in a Tang suit walked onto the stage, accompanied by four experts in treasure appraisal.
"Five hundred thousand ... ... No, that number sounds strange, add another hundred thousand, six hundred thousand!" Another elderly man wearing glasses announced the price.
1,100,000
Although the asking price for this antique is not high on the internet, approximately around 100,000 yuan, the emergence of a counterfeit as the first item has caused an uproar among the audience. As the saying goes in the antique world, where there is investment, there is risk; this statement has proven to be true.
At a critical moment, no one expected that the elderly man wearing glasses would rationally choose to give up, a result that left everyone astonished. It turned out that the two elders were surrounding the point and calling for reinforcements, a strategy that was indeed a step ahead.
As soon as these words were spoken, the expression on Jin Pangzi's face instantly became remarkable. He looked at Chu Yang in astonishment, not expecting that this fellow had actually picked out a genuine antique with just one choice
Mr. Li, after retrieving the celadon and white glazed double fish lotus petal bowl, directly smashed it on the table, causing the porcelain bowl to shatter into countless pieces. He then smiled nonchalantly and said, "What was originally a 50,000 yuan find, I will just take it as a sound."
When Zhou Xianmao learned the result, the smile on his face faded away, and he solemnly addressed the crowd, saying: "Ladies and gentlemen, today at our antique appraisal meeting, we have unveiled a piece of Yuan blue and white porcelain, which is absolutely genuine, with an estimated value exceeding one million!"
Chuyang shook his head and said: "Forget it, I am not as wealthy as you. If I have no luck, buying it would be pointless..."
Thank you! Old Man Ma's eyes brightened slightly; he did not expect this young man to be quite remarkable. His son was getting married in a few days, and this piece of blue and white porcelain was part of the betrothal gifts, so he asked for Chu Yang's phone number again
Chuyang is not particularly interested in the games of the wealthy; to him, they are merely trivial matters. The real spectacle is surely yet to come, and his blue-and-white porcelain vase may very well cause a stir
Zhou Xianmao slightly nodded, then spoke in a clear voice: "Ladies and gentlemen, this is the blue-and-white glazed double fish lotus petal bowl that Mr. Li brought back from Jingdezhen in 2003. Its shape is antique and elegant. Now, let us wait and see whether it is genuine or not..."
When Old Man Ma strode back to his seat, Jin Pangzi couldn't help but raise his hand to pat Chu Yang and said, "Buddy, your insight is truly sharp! It's almost my turn to take the stage, can you quickly help me take a look?"
Zhou Xianmao smiled and nodded, then spoke loudly to the crowd: "We will now begin the auction for the Yuan Dynasty blue and white porcelain vase, which features an elegant glaze and is in excellent condition. The starting price is 100,000. Interested parties may come forward to inspect the item!"
The antique appreciation event is about to begin. The welcoming hostess attentively served Chu Yang a cup of clear tea, and even the cup itself was a highly ornamental ancient ceramic. After taking a sip, the fragrance and flavor lingered in his throat, as if he were immersed in the essence of nature, refreshing and invigorating his mind. It truly is a fine cup of tea
Recently, there has been a joyous occasion at Mr. Ma's home? This piece of blue and white porcelain is a fine choice as a celebratory gift; allow me to extend my congratulations to you first. " Chu Yang smiled as he accepted the cash check, while also offering his congratulations to the elderly gentleman in the Zhongshan suit.
Once again, there are bidders competing, and as the price reaches a certain saturation point, the increments in bidding have also slowed down. Just four individuals have raised the price to over one million, which is sufficient to demonstrate the true value of this Yuan blue and white porcelain.
The upcoming appraisal once again piqued everyone's interest. Most of the items found in the antique street are replicas or fakes, with only a few genuine pieces. Even when genuine antiques are available, their prices range from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands, which did bring a slight sense of joy to a few wealthy individuals
"One million, let's make it a round number!" This time, the bidder was a middle-aged man in a suit, looking like a successful individual, presumably a discerning wealthy merchant.
Chuyang smiled without speaking, as he watched Jin Pangzi take out a VIP card, and was soon led by a hostess in a qipao to a seat in the front row. This is a large exhibition hall with an area of at least 200 square meters, filled with seating for hundreds of people.
Chu Yang nodded, but unfortunately, he did not know anyone in such a place. However, he also noticed that there was a very important rule in the appraisal process, which was that on-site auctions were allowed
Listening to the bidding voices of those present, Chu Yang felt a surge of tumultuous waves in his heart. It turns out that the first pot of gold he earned from the landlord Wu was merely a small ripple, and in the blink of an eye, he had become a millionaire
This blue and white porcelain vase appears to be gaudy on the surface, but in reality, it is a genuine Yuan dynasty blue and white piece. Old Man Ma does not believe that a simpleton could casually take a liking to it; he regards Chu Yang as an expert in antiques
Jin Pangzi immediately became displeased and said, "Buddy! The essence of us coming out to have fun is to enjoy ourselves. If you like, I can give you 20,000 to play around with a few items. If you end up buying a counterfeit, just consider it a lesson learned."
This is Zhou Xianmao, the owner of Jigu Zhai, a renowned collector in Jiangnan City. The four appraisers are all masters invited from the capital, each requiring 100,000 dollars.
I bid 400,000! Finally, an elderly man dressed in a Zhongshan suit began to place a bid, straightforwardly calling out 400,000 at once, thus preventing those who wished to speculate from voicing their bids.
With the humorous Mr. Li smashing the treasure on the spot, the atmosphere was instantly lightened for everyone present. Those who could sit here were either wealthy or of high status, and the 50,000 yuan could be considered as tuition fees, which was not unreasonable, thus everyone could just laugh it off.
"You little brat, what are you showing off for? Today, this item is going to be secured by the old man. Xiang Mao, this piece of Yuan blue and white porcelain, the old man is offering two million!" The elderly gentleman in a Zhongshan suit puffed out his cheeks and glared, and without hesitation, he set the price at a full two million. It seemed that these two were ready to compete fiercely from the moment they met.
1,600,000! What surprised Chu Yang even more was that the elderly man in the Zhongshan suit spoke up again with a bid, exuding an air of determination to not rest until he secured the purchase
Laozi is offering 2,800,000! Old Man Ma raised the price again, and he immediately blurted out a coarse remark. In recent years, the prices of Yuan blue and white porcelain at domestic small auctions have mostly been around one million, and such prices are considered the limit in antique appraisal events. This also proves that both old men have set their sights on this piece of Yuan blue and white porcelain
When the price increased to a staggering two million, many individuals harboring thoughts of reselling fell silent, and even that middle-aged man in a suit seemed prepared to cease his efforts, letting out a soft sigh and no longer speaking
"Old man Ma, you are nearing the end of your days, yet you still think about leaving something for the younger generation? Why not just hand it over to your old brother instead?" The speaker was an elderly man wearing glasses, who smiled and cast a sidelong glance at the man in the Zhongshan suit.
"Damn it! Don't insult people like that." Jin Fatty raised his middle finger. This phrase 'dog rich man' is certainly not a compliment. With a helpless sigh, he led him into the exhibition hall
With Zhou Xianmao's introduction, the wealthy individuals in the audience could no longer remain seated, and one by one, they approached to examine the item. With the endorsement of four on-site appraisal experts, coupled with the fact that this antique originated from the Yuan Dynasty, the perceived value of this well-preserved Yuan blue and white porcelain began to rise sharply in the minds of the crowd
As the words fell, a slightly plump middle-aged man stepped onto the stage and handed a celadon-glazed double fish lotus petal bowl to the appraisal expert, then stood aside quietly awaiting the result
Zhou Xianmao stood on the stage and cupped his hands in greeting to everyone present, laughing heartily as he said: "Thank you all for coming. This is not my first time hosting an antique appraisal event, and everyone knows the rules. Without further ado, let us invite the first appraiser!"
However, the price has risen to a full 2,800,000, which indeed far exceeds the intrinsic value of the Yuan blue and white porcelain; it is merely that the two old gentlemen have jointly acquired it
Just as everyone looked on with anticipation, the bespectacled old man chuckled and slowly turned to Old Man Ma, saying with a smile: "Congratulations on acquiring another family heirloom. Be sure to invite this old man to take a look later. That exquisite Da Hong Pao of yours should be brought out this time, right? Haha!"
In fact, at such small antique appraisal events, the appearance of an antique valued at over one million is considered a highlight. This time, a Yuan blue and white porcelain piece has emerged, which can be regarded as the pièce de résistance of the event. However, among these bidders, there are very few genuine collectors; most are merely intent on reselling.
Although it appears to be slightly smaller, once it is presented at an international auction, it could easily fetch a price of over one million, and it may even sell for a higher amount
The four鉴宝 experts observed for a while on stage and quickly provided their verdict, unexpectedly revealing that this remarkably realistic celadon and white glazed double fish lotus petal bowl is actually a counterfeit
Zhou Xianmao struck the gavel three times on stage, and Shi Ran smiled and said: "Congratulations, Mr. Ma, for successfully bidding on this Yuan blue and white porcelain. After the appraisal meeting concludes, it will be delivered to your home"