Every word was spoken without mercy. A thunderous blow reduced all the masts and sails to ashes.
The collector immediately staggered back a step, and two other experts came forward to argue with him.
"How reckless! You've only looked at it for two minutes and already made a conclusion! How ridiculous! Are all the appraisals from other institutions inferior to your own eyes?"
"This lotus washbasin, both in glaze and body, is identical to the fourteen pieces of secret-color porcelain from Famen Temple. This visual wonder of glaze, 'creating something out of nothing, as if filled with water,' is unique to secret-color porcelain! The circle of dotted mud balls on the bottom of its foot, as you're probably aware, is a result of the unique, no-branch-mark sagger firing technique used in secret-color porcelain!"
Where there are those who step on you, there are those who support you.
"The level of appraisal isn't determined by age, but by having seen more genuine pieces. Mr. Xiao has worked as a researcher in numerous museums abroad that collect Chinese porcelain. He's probably seen more treasures than all these experts combined!"
"Teacher Xiao must have noticed the difference between the brush washer and the secret color porcelain, so he rushed over to stop us. We should have just stopped at the right time, but these fake Confucius scholars insisted on not letting us go. Now they are asking for humiliation."
"You're even mocking their ancestral heritage. Tell me, the Xiao family has been dedicated to reviving celadon porcelain for eight or nine hundred years, from the Song Dynasty to the present day. How can you allow people to talk nonsense here? I can't stand it!"
"Yeah, whoever can put up with this is a bastard!"
Two voices clashed passionately in the meeting hall, one after another.
The collector continued to attack Xiao Xingyu: "Don't think that just because you come from an ancient porcelain background that you have the right to make arbitrary conclusions here. If you make such an assertion today, you must present solid evidence!"
"Explain the truth! Have we all lost our sight?" Some veteran experts were also filled with indignation.
When Zhang Moyan heard this, she instinctively knew that the climax of the incident was about to come, so she turned on the recording on her phone.
Amidst the clash of swords, Xiao Xingyu glanced in front of him with disdain, straightened his body, and said calmly, "Okay, is that the reason? How many do you want?"
The whole audience was stunned, including Zhang Moyan.
Any more reasons?
Could it be that this is available for you to pick and customize?
The experts looked at each other in confusion, and the crowd started to make a noise.
"One, say one first!"
"One is so few, three is right? From Teacher Xiao's tone, there must be at least three or five!"
"Can there be seven?"
"Seven, you idiot! Do you think Calabash Brothers has seven flowers on one vine?"
Unexpectedly, it was a multiple-choice question! The experts were momentarily stumped by the question and felt as if they were facing a formidable challenge.
Xiao Xingyu smiled and said, "To confirm whether this lotus washbasin is secret color porcelain, the most rigorous method is to break it into pieces and take samples for analysis. Do you have any? ... If you don't have any, then no matter what technology you use, you can't be 100% sure that it is secret color porcelain."
The whole place became solemn.
Xiao Xingyu continued, "You just mentioned the glaze of this lotus wash basin, so let me talk about the glaze. You said it's perfect and exquisite, and I admit it. But therein lies the problem! Compared to the secret color porcelain of Famen Temple, don't you think it seems to be—even better?"
"Before seeing the real thing, I always suspected it was a photographic effect, so I had to come and see it in person today. In my opinion, the fourteen porcelain pieces from Famen Temple, while emerald green and lustrous, have a slightly hazy sheen, while this brush washer is even more translucent, a level far beyond the reach of secret color porcelain!"
The words were clear and powerful, shocking the whole audience.
The air was so still that it seemed to be solid.
The auction company's general manager pushed his way through the crowd and stepped forward, asking boldly, "Teacher Xiao, are you saying that the reason this lotus washbasin isn't a secret color porcelain piece is because... its glaze is better than that of secret color porcelain?"
Xiao Xingyu bent his lower lip and uttered four words slowly: "This is the first."
First?
Everyone's heart skipped a beat.
Could it be that there really is a first, a second, a third... until there are seven flowers on a vine?
If Xiao Xingyu had just dropped an atomic bomb, then the atmosphere at the scene now was the desolate and dead silence after an atomic bomb explosion.
Xiao Xingyu completely ignored the lively faces around him and continued, "I have to correct both of you."
Someone immediately responded: "What's that?"
Xiao Xingyu raised a finger, his half-rolled sleeves revealing the toned lines of his arms. "I'm not an expert in antique appraisal. Antiques have a very broad meaning, encompassing gold and stone artifacts, bronze artifacts, porcelain, wood artifacts, calligraphy and paintings, and so on. I only have a little knowledge of ancient ceramics."
Everyone: “…”
"Also," he raised a second finger, "I can't even be considered my grandfather's successor. If the uncles in the Xiao family heard this," he smiled, "my life at home would be difficult in the future."
Everyone: “…”
Zhang Moyan smiled. Who on earth is this Xiao Xingyu? He still keeps talking about these things even in such a situation. He is so relaxed!
After revealing his identity, Xiao Xingyu withdrew his hand and, raising his voice, got back to the point: "Since you're talking about celadon porcelain, let's compare it with celadon porcelain. By the way, this lotus washbasin originally left the palace in the late Qing Dynasty, right?"
He looked at the collector.
"Of course! My grandfather bought this porcelain at a Christie's auction in England in 1977. All the paperwork is there," the collector said confidently. "You shouldn't doubt the quality of an item that has made it to this occasion!"
Xiao Xingyu glanced at him and smiled: "I believe this. But can the celadon from the palace be used to endorse it as secret color porcelain? I think it's just the opposite, it proves that it absolutely cannot be secret color porcelain!"
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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