Chapter 25 Mansheng Pot

Zisha (purple clay) – you can choose not to be purple, but you can't choose not to be red.

It can also have a brownish, dark brown, or even a yellowish tint. But no matter which one, it is based on red and will never have a bluish tint.

Blue-purple clay teapot... I've never even heard of it.

Tao Jun stared wide-eyed, turning the pot around to look at it: when he turned to the back, where the flashlight couldn't reach, the pot's body was purple.

But if you tilt the angle slightly, the mud color will turn red, and if you tilt it even further, it will turn blue.

Even when viewed upside down, the result remains the same.

Old Song was the same, frowning and mouth agape.

Suddenly, he snatched the flashlight, and when he shone it on the kettle, it emitted a blue light. When he turned off the flashlight, it turned purple.

Undeterred, he used a saucer to carry the teapot outside, facing the sun.

However, it was useless; although it didn't turn blue directly, it had a bluish-red glow.

Old Song's face turned green as he carried the teapot into the room: "Why wasn't it this blue before?"

Lin Sicheng didn't speak, but pointed to the top of his head.

With just this one little light bulb, it's as dark as a ghost town; no wonder you can't see anything clearly.

"Could some pigment have been added during the molding process?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Old Song wanted to slap himself.

The reason why Zisha teapots can stand apart from ceramics is because they are not glazed or painted, and their natural sandy texture gives them a retro feel.

Adding any pigments will only make it less valuable.

Of course, it's probably not worth much money now: a blue-purple clay teapot, anyone who knows about them would laugh their head off.

Why is this happening?

"Excessive copper content."

Old Song was stunned for a moment: "What?"

"It's basic copper carbonate, or copper sulfate."

Lin Sicheng patiently explained: "The reason why the color of a Zisha teapot changes when it is heated is mainly due to the different iron content in the clay."

The higher the iron content, the darker the color, such as classic purple clay teapots and red clay teapots. The lower the iron content, the lighter the color, such as the less common white clay teapots: like pear skin teapots and duck white teapots.

However, a bluish tint is rare. If it's unavoidable, there's only one reason: the clay contains a very high amount of copper blue. There aren't many pottery clays with this characteristic, but Yixing certainly doesn't have any!

"But how come we can't tell normally?"

"Because of chromatographic neutralization: red and blue neutralize to form purple, unless there is strong light interference."

Isn't it because of strong light interference that the colors are layered?

Old Song's face turned ashen: Whose kid is this? How come he seems more experienced than an expert who has been in this field for decades?

To say that what they said is unreasonable is nonsense.

He clung to his last glimmer of hope: "It really isn't a Yixing teapot?"

Lin Sicheng nodded: "One hundred percent!"

"Then what's the point of even talking about it?"

Because more than 90% of the famous teapot makers were born in Yixing, learned in Yixing, made their craft in Yixing, and became famous in Yixing.

If it's not made in Yixing, then what's the point of talking about Yixing teapots?

Old Song wanted to cry but had no tears.

Of course, he was still skeptical about the copper sulfate claim, but the fact that the pot was bluish was undeniable.

He's been in this business for over twenty years, and he's never even heard of blue and purple clay teapots.

If we must find a reason, either it's not from Yixing, as Lin Sicheng said, or it was adulterated with pigments, as he previously suspected.

However, by the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China period, the techniques for color mixing in Yixing teapots were not as sophisticated as those used in non-Yixing teapots during the mid-Qing Dynasty. After all, there were indeed some famous Yixing teapot makers outside of Yixing during the mid-Qing Dynasty.

He forced himself to stay alert: "Old Hao, who were the famous Yixing purple clay potters during the Qing Dynasty?"

Hao Jun thought for a moment: "Xu Jinhou and Hui Mengchen, who lived early in the morning, were not from Yixing, but this pot is from the mid-Qing Dynasty, so it's obviously impossible. There were two people from the mid-Qing Dynasty: Chen Hanwen and his son Chen Yinqian."

Although they were from Yixing, Chen Hanwen fled to Zhejiang due to a feud with his elder brother, Chen Mingyuan. After that, there were no other notable figures from there.

Old Song recalled: Chen Yinqian wasn't famous. Even if it really was a forgery, it would only fetch ten or eight thousand yuan at most.

Chen Hanwen, Chen Mingyuan's younger brother... You know what, it's actually quite possible: no wonder the imitation is so similar?

To be honest, though, his fame is only so-so.

But it's better than nothing, right?

He made a face, then grinned and said, "Old Hao, I won't ask for 300,000, and you won't ask for 150,000. Let's compromise and get 200,000!"

Hao Jun jumped up in fright and took two steps back: "Old Song, do you think I'm a blockhead?"

You believe what a child says?

"He may be a child, but his grandfather is Lin Changqing!"

Hao Jun sighed, "Lin Sicheng, I won't lie to you: Professor Lin is a senior, and he's in the hospital, so I didn't want to trouble him. I thought I'd let you take a look first."

To be honest, please don't be angry: I was thinking that if you couldn't see through it, I could have a reason to ask Professor Lin for help after he was discharged from the hospital. But I didn't expect you to see this much? I apologize, senior: I was blind to your greatness..."

Lin Sicheng was both amused and exasperated: "That's a bit much!"

Hao Jun shook his head and said nothing more.

Old Song stared blankly for a long time, mouth agape.

Lin Changqing's grandson... no wonder he knows so much?

But no matter how knowledgeable you are, you still have to sell this teapot, right?

He forced a smile. "Old Hao, this teapot is from Qingzhong, so it must be genuine, right? I'll lower the price a bit more, to what you said, 150,000!"

Hao Jun shook his head: "Okay, even if it's Chen Hanwen's teapot, is it worth 150,000?"

Old Song opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.

A couple of years ago, I did auction a straight-sided, round-spouted teapot by Chen Hanwen. But it didn't have a lid. The contemporary Yixing clay master Gu Jingzhou provided a lid, and it only sold for 590,000 yuan.

Honestly, if you were to take that cover out and auction it separately, it would probably fetch over 500,000 yuan.

But at least this one still has a lid.

"120,000, that's the lowest we can go!"

Hao Jun sighed: "Old Song, at this point, it's not about the price anymore. We don't mention famous artists or eras anymore, or who's looking at it. After all these years in this business, pat your chest and say this: have you ever seen a bluish-purple teapot?"

Old Song moved his lips, but had no words to reply.

I've never seen it before, but could it really be stuck with me?

He gritted his teeth: "One hundred thousand... I really bought it for one hundred thousand, I'll give it to you at the original price!"

Hao Jun had made up his mind; he wouldn't take even 10,000, let alone 100,000.

Just as he was about to shake his head, Lin Sicheng smiled and said, "Senior brother, 100,000 is not out of the question. After all, natural blue clay is rare and has some research value."

Old Song pecked at rice like a chick: "Yes, yes, yes!"

"What do you mean, 'you'? I'm not Professor Lin, I'm just an antique dealer. What do you want me to research?"

Old Song, quick-witted, said: "Just because you can't research it doesn't mean others can't. Take Professor Lin, for example... Young man, you're right, this is blue sand, it might be a unique piece... Old Hao doesn't want it, he doesn't know its value. I'll sell it to Professor Lin, it's not expensive, just 100,000!"

"A unique item? Old Song, you really dare to boast like that?" Hao Jun sneered. "Besides, Professor Lin has already retired. What research does he have left?"

Old Song fell silent again.

Lin Sicheng looked puzzled, wondering how things had developed to this point.

No, this is a real treasure. I never said this pot was worthless. Why are you all passing it around like this?

Did I use too much force?

But thinking about it carefully, aside from the few sentences explaining why the teapot has a bluish tint, he only said two sentences regarding the teapot's value:

The imitation is quite realistic!

It's not made with Yixing clay!

It was impartial and even praised him a little.

What caused Hao Jun to go from cherishing it to fearing it like a tiger? And what caused Lao Song to go from seeing it as a rare commodity to being afraid of losing it?

I understand. The main issue is the bluish tint on the teapot's body. It's indeed rare... well, it's practically unheard of.

Add to that the question-and-answer session between the two, and a flurry of imagined scenarios: that non-Yixing teapots aren't considered Zisha (purple clay), that there are no famous potters outside of Yixing, and then it all turned into this:

Not a work by a famous artist, not from a famous place, and it's a style I've never seen before. How much is this teapot worth?

But to be honest: for only 100,000 yuan, he could laugh in his dreams if he bought a teapot jointly made by Chen Hongshou and Yang Pengnian.

So, Brother Hao, once this opportunity is gone, it's gone forever.

He smiled and said, "Senior Brother Hao, Grandpa has indeed retired, but he has many research institutions. You do have connections, right? For example, Northwest University, or the Yaozhou Kiln Research Center... You can still make ten or twenty thousand by reselling them!"

Hao Jun shook his head: "Ten or twenty thousand isn't enough trouble?"

He paused for a moment: "If you really think it has research value, it's not that you can't buy it, but you'd better ask Professor Lin first!"

No... I didn't say I wanted to buy it, I said I wanted you to buy it.

Why can't you see through it?

Old Song started nodding again, almost shoving the teapot into Lin Sicheng's hand: "Yes, yes, yes... sell it to research institutions. Professor Lin is a leading figure in porcelain studies in Shaanxi Province. He knows so many research institutions. He can easily make 30,000 to 50,000 yuan a month."

Lin Sicheng sighed.

There was no point in trying to persuade Hao Jun anymore; if you tried, Hao Jun would definitely come to his senses. But at the same time, Old Song would also realize that thinking he could buy the teapot for 100,000 was just wishful thinking.

Of course, he couldn't miss out on the good stuff. If Hao Jun couldn't figure it out, he'd just have to take matters into his own hands. But to be honest, this was the first time in his two lifetimes that a buyer and seller had teamed up to force a bargain into his pocket.

He thought for a moment and said, "I only have 80,000!"

It really is only 80,000, the same 80,000 from when I sold the feather duster last time.

Unexpectedly, Old Song didn't hesitate at all: "Eighty thousand it is, but I can't give you the box!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he picked up a slightly larger box, lined it with foam, and then stuffed the pot inside.

With a few sharp "hissing" sounds, the tape was torn and ripped, and in the blink of an eye, it was wrapped three times inside and out.

Then he pushed it in front of Lin Sicheng, took out a POS machine, and said with a big smile, "Thank you!"

Lin Sicheng was stunned: No... was it three minutes in total?

Mr. Song, Mr. Song, how afraid are you of this pot falling into your hands?

"No, Lao Song... are you bullying a kid who doesn't understand? Put the POS machine down..."

Hao Jun, looking like he had a toothache, stared intently at Lin Sicheng. "Is this pot really worth studying?"

Lin Sicheng nodded: "There is some!"

"That's good!" Hao Jun was a little uneasy. "Why don't you ask Professor Lin again?"

Lin Sicheng took out his bank card: "No need!"

Hao Jun remained silent: Lin Sicheng must understand porcelain research, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to see through the fact that the antique company's reverse-flow pot was radioactive.

Thinking about it this way, it should be as he said, that you can still make a profit by reselling.

Then I'll buy it.

In a flash, Lin Sicheng swiped his card, printed the receipt, and picked up the teapot.

Old Song, all smiles, saw the two out the door.

After walking more than ten meters, Hao Jun sneered, "This bastard definitely didn't get it for 100,000, otherwise why would he be laughing like that?"

"Maybe!"

But for something like this, 20,000 more or less doesn't matter.

Lin Sicheng thought for a moment: "Senior brother, didn't you have someone take a look at it before?"

How could that be?

Hao Jun is skilled in miscellaneous items, specializing in religious artifacts, but only has a superficial understanding of porcelain, so he definitely needs to find a knowledgeable appraiser.

However, Rongbaozhai only accepts calligraphy and paintings and stationery items, and does not have porcelain craftsmen, so he brought Master Liu, who specializes in calligraphy and paintings, to take a look.

"Of course I invited him. Just the day before yesterday, I took Master Liu to take a look."

"who?"

"Old Liu, Liu Guoyi, you saw him last time he sold dusters!"

Lin Sicheng suddenly remembered: the calligraphy and painting expert in Hao Jun's shop?

"What did he say?"

"The characters are indeed carved quite neatly, but they have too much of a craftsman's touch, and the seal script is just average."

That shouldn't be the case, right?

Last time, in less than a minute, he identified the inscription on the duster as being written by Pu Xinyu. In comparison, Chen Mansheng's fame is far greater.

Since it's a replica, it's understandable that he couldn't recognize the font and seal style on the teapot. He himself had to study it for a long time before he could match it with Chen Mansheng's.

But to say that the calligraphy is too contrived and the seal script is just average... is impossible.

If you don't even have this much discerning eye, you can't be the master chef at Rongbaozhai.

Subconsciously, two words popped into Lin Sicheng's mind: interception and breaking into a bag?

Just as I was making wild guesses, a hearty laugh rang in my ears: "Oh, Mr. Wu, what a coincidence!"

Lin Sicheng glanced at him: a man in his early fifties with a large belly, he was clearly surprised when he saw Hao Jun.

But he reacted quickly, extending his hand and forcing a smile: "Mr. Hao, what a coincidence, what brings you to Xicang today?"

"I had a meeting at the exchange center, and since I had nothing else to do, I thought I'd come and take a look around!"

Without introducing Lin Sicheng, they exchanged a few simple pleasantries and then parted ways.

As they parted, Mr. Wu glanced at the box in Lin Sicheng's hand, his expression showing some suspicion and unease.

Lin Sicheng's heart skipped a beat: "Senior brother, who is that?"

"Professional middlemen often introduce calligraphy and painting collectors to the store, sometimes buying and sometimes selling."

"Are you very familiar with Master Liu?"

"Yes, the two have a very good personal relationship."

As the words were about to be spoken, Lin Sicheng subconsciously turned his head. The person was standing in the aisle, seemingly talking to someone.

Look closely: Old Song leaned against the door frame and pointed this way.

There was no need for doubt; this person was sent by Master Liu to break into the package. So, if he had arrived ten or twenty minutes later, the pot would have been gone.

But at least they were colleagues in the same unit, and Hao Jun was his boss.

Lin Sicheng sighed as he looked at the bag in his hand.

Without Hao Jun, this thing wouldn't have ended up in my hands...

"Senior brother, I have something to tell you!"

Hao Jun strolled along, casually saying, "Go ahead!"

"This is a Mansheng pot!"

Hao Jun seemed not to have heard clearly: "What pot?"

"A Mansheng teapot, sculpted by Yang Pengnian and inscribed, carved, and stamped by Chen Mansheng!"

Suddenly, my ears went silent, and my head was ringing.

Hao Jun was dumbfounded: "Impossible!"

Knowing he wouldn't believe him right away, Lin Sicheng nodded: "Let's go to the hospital!"