Chapter 151 One cup, one universe
During the Song Dynasty, craftsmen at Jian Kiln in Fujian created a batch of cups and bowls with different patterns that resembled the starry sky and the universe due to an uncontrollable kiln change.
Instead of rejoicing, the kiln workers fell into panic. Kiln change, as the name suggests, is an unpredictable change that occurs during the firing process. Each kiln change is unique, and they could never again produce cups and bowls with such a starry sky. Presenting them as tribute to the emperor would only bring them endless trouble. So, they reluctantly smashed the cups. At the time, Japanese monks who had come to China to study Buddhism were living in the temples of Tianmu Mountain. They rescued the remaining cups and bowls and brought them back to Japan. The three lights of the sun, moon, and stars are called "矅," and they called this kiln change "矅变"—矅变 Tianmu Jianzhan. All that was left for China was a pile of fragments.
There are only three examples of this type of Jianzhan teapot left in the world today, all of which are in Japan. In recent years, China has pieced together half a Jianzhan teapot from the broken fragments, which is considered a treasure.
Qin Tian suppressed his excitement and slowed his breathing. "It's hard to use just a photo as a basis for identification. Can I see the real thing?"
"Of course," the woman said cheerfully. "Can I make an appointment for you to come to my house and see the real thing?"
Qin Tian and Tong Zhongyuan exchanged a glance and said cautiously, "We don't have any plans today. If it's convenient, we can go to your house now."
"That's great. My house is a little far away, is that okay?"
"no problem."
The old woman chatted and laughed with them as they left the Tang Dynasty Museum. She hailed a taxi. Tong Zhongyuan stepped forward and sat in the passenger seat. The old woman and Qin Tian sat in the back seat, chatting quietly.
The woman's name is Michiko Nakayama. Her husband has passed away and she currently lives with her eldest son who has never been married.
As she said, the place where she lived was a bit remote. When the taxi arrived at its destination, Tong Zhongyuan turned around and asked, "To thank you for letting me see such beautiful ancient cups and plates, I would like to pay the fare, okay?"
Michiko Nakayama smiled shyly and apologetically: "That's so embarrassing."
After getting out of the car, she naturally walked with Tong Zhongyuan, asking him if he had ever lived in Japan and praising his handsomeness. Qin Tian followed behind them, laughing silently. He was clearly a cold and ruthless person, but when he wanted to take someone down, he was always successful. Tong Zhongyuan's grasp of people's hearts and his sense of proportion were probably a natural talent, something that could never be learned.
Michiko Nakayama's home was a small, older, single-family house. It was clean, but she didn't look wealthy. She leisurely prepared tea for her guests and served them snacks. Then, she sat across from them, chatting and drinking.
Although Qin Tian admired her calm and elegant hospitality, she was clamoring in her heart that she only wanted to see that cup.
After finishing the first cup of tea, Nakayama Michiko probably felt the pace was about right, so she asked them to wait and went into the inner room. Tong Zhongyuan had long noticed that Qin Tian had lost his composure and was even more anxious than usual. As soon as he saw Nakayama Tomoko leave, he immediately took the opportunity to communicate with Qin Tian.
"If what you see later is indeed the Transformation Heavenly Eye, can I communicate with her? I know what you want to do, and I will do my best."
Qin Tian nodded vigorously. Her current state of mind was filled with only bad intentions. Her hands were sweaty, and the back of her neck was burning. She took out a rubber band and tried to tie her hair up. Tong Zhongyuan held her hand.
"Just leave it like this. I can't see your expression when you lower your head."
There were soft footsteps on the stairs. They both let go of each other's hands and sat down.
Michiko Nakayama placed a half-new brocade box on the table and said respectfully, "Then please, two experts, appraise its value."
Qin Tian took a deep breath and opened the lid of the box.
A sleek cup rested quietly on the black satin. The mysterious, irregular light shimmered like ripples in the universe, while the flares of varying sizes resembled stars in the night sky.
Qin Tian suppressed the excitement in her heart and took out gloves and a magnifying glass from her bag. She carefully picked up the cup, and even under the magnifying glass, she could not see any pores in the delicate lines.
.
Because of the kiln changes, the temperament and texture of each lamp, or even each piece of cup, are different.
The Japanese regard the Jianzhan teapot as a national treasure. In recent years, they have imitated Jianzhan teapots by drawing and printing. However, the beauty of the Jianzhan teapot, "one cup, one universe," cannot be replicated by any means.
The black clay and elegant cup shape are characteristic of the Jian kiln of the Song Dynasty. This is the fourth extant Tianmu teapot in the world.
The room was peaceful, and the desolate cry of a crow could be heard from outside the window. With his chest beating violently, Qin Tian put down the cup, took off his gloves, handed them to Tong Zhongyuan, and sat back in his chair.
Tong Zhongyuan calmly took the gloves and put them on, then picked up the cup and looked at it slowly. After a few minutes, he gently put the cup back into the box.
Tong Zhongyuan took off his gloves and handed them back to Qin Tian, then spoke to her slowly, "This is a Chinese Song Dynasty porcelain, well-preserved. The cup is too small for thermoluminescence testing, so we can only judge it with the naked eye. What do you think?"
"I think so too. It certainly appears to be from the Song Dynasty, but the exact year is difficult to confirm."
“Is it possible to do thermoluminescence in the future?”
Qin Tian shook his head: "There is no place to take samples."
"How about using PIXE?"
PIXE testing? This is mainly used to test the composition of porcelain rather than its age. Qin Tian stared at Tong Zhongyuan, his eyes calm and silent, staring at her without blinking.
Her mind brightened up like a mirror, and she replied, "We can give it a try."
Michiko Nakayama watched them exchange technical terms. Her Chinese was fluent, but that didn't include technical terms. Judging from their attitudes, it seemed as if this cup was a questionable artifact.
Tong Zhongyuan finished his conversation with Qin Tian and smiled at Michiko Nakayama.
"Madam Sun Yat-sen, this cup is very likely a precious porcelain from the Song Dynasty of China."
"Very likely? Does that mean it's uncertain?"
"Yes. Visual inspection is the most common authentication method, but it also has a high error rate. Miss Qin and I agree that this cup is authentic based on visual inspection alone. However, if we want a definitive answer, we need to use instruments and data to confirm it."
"I see," Michiko Nakayama sighed, "it's really from China. Such a beautiful cup, what a shame to use it for tea."
"Madam said earlier that she wanted to know its value. If the cup is genuine, its value may be so high that it will embarrass you."
Michiko Nakayama was surprised and asked, "Will the high price still make people feel embarrassed?"
Tong Zhongyuan curled his lips, and the teardrop mole at the corner of his eye also raised sincerely. He said lightly, "Didn't you say there were three children? I'm afraid only the one who got the cup can become a billionaire."
Michiko Nakayama covered her mouth and smiled, but her eyes could not hide her surprise.
"Billionaire?"
"The Upper Asia Museum, where we work, has a well-established program for redeeming overseas cultural relics. For treasures like this Chinese Song Dynasty porcelain, there's a standard redemption price range. In Japanese yen, the price would be between 60 million and 150 million yen. If your wife is worried about which child to pass on the cups and saucers to, perhaps she could consider selling them to the Upper Asia Museum. However, if she does, your three children will only become multi-millionaires."
Michiko Nakayama was increasingly shocked. Tong Zhongyuan's words sounded both serious and joking. She hadn't considered selling the cup, but if she did, could a national museum really afford it?
"Well, is the cup in my house good enough to be put in a Chinese museum?"
"If the final identification result is true, then yes."
"Do we need to take the cup back to China for testing to know the result?"
Qin Tian lowered her head, her hair covering her face. Her heartbeat was so loud that Tong Zhongyuan must have heard it, but she must not let Zhongshan hear it. Zhongshan Michiko was walking closer, step by step, into the feast that Tong Zhongyuan had prepared for her, and the only thing she could do was not to disturb her.
At the same time, another thought popped up uncontrollably. Were all the cases listed on his studio's website negotiated this way? Knowing the Tang Dynasty jade wall had been reserved for the Shanghai Museum, he still ruthlessly snatched it away. Was he truly devoid of any selfish motives towards a rare treasure like the Tianmu?
"Qin Tian," Tong Zhongyuan turned to her, "Did you bring your business card?"
"I brought it."
Qin Tian took out his business card and placed it on the table. Tong Zhongyuan gently pushed the card closer to Zhongshan.
"I forgot my business card. This is Miss Qin's. We're on a business trip to Japan to recover a Chinese artifact for the Shanghai Museum. It's the large gilded bronze plate you just saw. It took Miss Qin and I over four months to find out where it is. Unfortunately, it was given to Japan. Unexpectedly, I met Madame Sun Yat-sen at the same time I lost it. It's fate that I'm able to see this Song Dynasty cup and bowl today. It's well-preserved and a very valuable Chinese artifact. In both Chinese and Japanese culture, this is a bond of fate. If you're willing to part with it, the Shanghai Museum will welcome it back with all its heart. As for the price, after signing the contract, you can pay a 30% deposit, which is the highest price for an authentic Song Dynasty artifact. The remaining payment will be provided as soon as the appraisal results are available."
"What if it's not authentic?"
Michiko Nakayama didn't want to lose her elegance and composure. Her voice remained calm, but a hint of uneasiness still leaked out.
Tong Zhongyuan looked into her eyes and said sincerely, "Then I will personally escort the cups back. You don't have to return the deposit."
Michiko Nakayama met his eyes, and the crows outside the window were croaking again.
"Excuse me, may I consider this?"
"sure."
Tong Zhongyuan picked up a pen and wrote down his cell phone number on Qin Tian’s business card.
"Miss Qin's phone roaming function is malfunctioning. You can contact me. We will leave Tokyo tomorrow night and return to China. Please let us know your decision before noon tomorrow."
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