Chapter 129 Cheaper than found
On the stage, the opera "Three Drops of Blood" is being performed, and the Qinqiang opera roars through the sky.
On the other side, the troupe leader unfurled a leather puppet. On a three-foot-long plain screen, a young girl in a flowing robe held a harp, and the melody of "Rainbow Feather Robe" flowed from the strings.
Lin Sicheng and Ye Anning stood quietly at the bank entrance.
Before long, the father and son arrived together. He seemed to be in much better spirits than yesterday; at least he wasn't frowning or gloomy.
After a brief greeting, the four of them went into the bank.
The sales staff were the same ones as yesterday. They were very curious when they heard that we were going to look at paintings here, and they even poured us four glasses of water.
Lin Sicheng cut to the chase: "Where's the painting?"
The father and son exchanged a glance, opened the long box, untied the scroll, and spread it out on the coffee table.
Just like the two paintings from yesterday, the outer plastic film is both glossy and shiny.
Looking at the painting again: the pine trees are lush and green, their gnarled branches swaying; two red-crowned cranes are graceful in form, their feathers clearly defined. Behind the cranes, flowers bloom in profusion, creating a scene of auspiciousness, prosperity, and vibrant life.
The brushwork techniques are inherited from the Southern Song court style, but the abrupt beginnings and sharp endings of the brushstrokes further enhance the tension of the brushwork.
Looking closer: the branches and leaves are rendered with ink wash, and vermilion is used as the main coloring, creating the unique effect of "ink bone and colorful charm" in the Zhejiang school style.
If you only look at the brushwork and technique, Lin Sicheng's work looks authentic no matter how you look at it.
But that's not the point. The key is the seals. There are more than ten in total. Lin Sicheng's eyes would pause for a moment every time he looked at one.
At the very top of the scroll is a square seal in red ink with iron-wire seal script, reading "Tianlai Pavilion". Below that, in the space between the top margin and the beginning of the scroll, is another seal: a white seal in red ink with nine seal script characters, reading "Xiang Yuanbian's Seal".
Further down, at the trailing point between the ground and the center of the painting, there is another seal: a round seal in red ink with willow-leaf seal script: "Divine Masterpiece".
All three seals of "Xiang Family Collection" have been collected. Moreover, the order and format of the seals are extremely correct: "Xiang Yuanbian Seal" at the beginning, "Tianlai Pavilion" as the dividing line, and "Divine Work" at the end.
Lin Sicheng had seen this seal once before: on the "Huaisu Calligraphy," a national treasure in the Palace Museum's calligraphy and painting gallery.
Of course, once someone has seen it, someone will imitate it, but no one can imitate it as authentically as this: the last stroke of the character "汴" in "Xiang Yuanbian's Seal" does not rise, this is to avoid the taboo of "the Southern Song Dynasty moving its capital to Bianjing".
Continuing on: A rectangular vermilion seal: Precious Collection Recompiled. Then another seal: Summer Palace.
The former is a seal for connoisseurship in the supplementary compilation of the "Shiqu Baoji" (Catalogue of the Imperial Collection of Paintings and Calligraphy), which aims to supplement more than 1,800 pieces of calligraphy and painting that entered the palace from the late Qianlong period to the early Jiaqing period.
The latter is the Chengde Mountain Resort, the summer palace where Qing Dynasty emperors sought refuge from the summer heat.
These two seals represent only one meaning: inspected by Emperor Jiaqing, and kept in the Qing court.
Further down: on the edge of the drawing paper, there is a half-square red seal in the style of the Nine-Fold Seal script: Seal of the Book of Rites.
It's not that the seal is incomplete; rather, this seal is a half-seal, meaning it's only half-covered. If it were a complete seal, it would read: "Seal of the Ceremonial and Disciplinary Inspection Office."
This is a core collection seal of the Ming Dynasty imperial court.
Lin Sicheng took a slight breath: Why is it that some works by the same artist, from the same period, with the same size and quality, sell for twice or even more than other works?
The reason lies here: it has a clear provenance and was collected by renowned collectors. Therefore, based solely on the Xiang family's collection and its inclusion in the Shiqu Collection, this painting's value has increased by at least half.
What if there were also "Seals of the Ceremonial Inspection Office"? These were kept in the imperial collections of the Ming and Qing dynasties, and their value would increase by another half.
So, this painting is worth far more than six million?
But this father and son only wanted two million...
Upon closer inspection: although there are signs of age, the silk is slightly yellowed, the ink is clear, and the vermilion seal is bright red.
The same applies to the mounting; although it is a typical Ming Dynasty style, the signs of aging are very faint. If judged by eye alone, it is definitely no more than a hundred years old.
The key point is that there are seven or eight holes densely packed along the edge of the drawing paper. How many tests have been done?
The reason for doing this so many times is simple: if it turns out to be fake every time, then we have to find another place to do it.
No matter how it was examined, the conclusion was always the same: a fake. So, for him to sell this painting as a genuine work would be a miracle…
Lin Sicheng let out a sigh of relief, raised his head, and pointed to the small holes.
The father and son's expressions changed. Just as the young man was about to say something, the old man waved his hand abruptly, his face showing a hint of impatience: "Minimum price is 1.5 million. Buy it if you want, otherwise we're leaving!"
One and a half million?
Knowing the two men's character, Lin Sicheng's heart skipped a beat: this painting was absolutely the biggest bargain he had ever made since his rebirth, comparable to a blue clay teapot, Dong Qichang's calligraphy, and a piece of jade. In terms of price alone, it was even more valuable than the Qianlong iron seal.
Why? Because Dai Jin's paintings, collected by two generations of the imperial court, plus a lost technique for preserving ancient imperial calligraphy and paintings, could be sold to a provincial museum for eight or nine million without him even batting an eye.
"purchase!"
Lin Sicheng nodded slightly and took out a card.
Ye Anning glanced at it and pursed her lips.
She had been calculating all along that after buying those two paintings yesterday, Lin Sicheng would be completely broke.
So last night at dinner, she subtly hinted at it. Lin Sicheng then said that his grandfather was rich…
Transfer money, sign documents, sign contracts.
Fearing Lin Sicheng might change his mind, the father and son prepared everything meticulously, including a standard "antiques and collectibles" contract. In short, it was a "buy and hold" deal.
When the last fingerprint was pressed, all three of them felt a sense of relief.
This includes the father and son, and Lin Sicheng.
Ye Anning handed over a tissue, and Lin Sicheng wiped his fingers, seemingly casually: "Master, if I may ask, where did you get the idea for this plastic film?"
“An old friend surnamed Pu taught me this. He said: If you want to preserve calligraphy and paintings for a long time, there are only two words: vacuum… I bought these three paintings from him, but he has long since passed away!”
Lin Sicheng's heart skipped a beat: He was probably surnamed Aisin Gioro.
"All three?"
The old man nodded: "Yes!"
What was used before the plastic film was applied?
"The camphor wood box was filled with cinnabar lacquer, so it has always been well preserved."
The old man looked dejected and sighed, "But damn it, it's not that I preserved it well, but that it's become a fake? For seventeen whole years, how much humiliation have I suffered?"
Sure enough?
But I can't ask anymore.
Lin Sicheng nodded and smiled.
Just like yesterday, the father and son left in a hurry, as if afraid he would change his mind.
Lin Sicheng calmly rolled up the scroll and left the bank.
The sun was just high in the sky, and the sugar crumbs on the bluestone slabs shattered into stars.
The old man dipped the skewered hawthorns into the sugar basin, wrapping and rolling them up, pulling out golden threads from the caramelized sugar syrup.
Five or six children and more than ten adults formed three or four circles around it.
"Sister Anning, do you want some candied hawthorns?"
Ye Anning looked at him strangely: Lin Sicheng, you still have the mood to eat?
If that calligraphy wasn't the original, it would be like throwing over a million dollars down the drain. Why not just buy a dozen truckloads of candied hawthorns instead?
If it's an authentic work, just based on those seals alone, this painting is worth at least seven or eight million. Ten million wouldn't be impossible; enough to treat the entire city of Xi'an to candied hawthorns for a year.
But Lin Sicheng's expression remained as calm as ever.
She lowered her voice: "An authentic piece?"
"An authentic work!"
Ye Anning's eyes lit up: "Then can you still eat?"
"It just tastes a little bland..." Lin Sicheng chuckled again, "Never mind, let's go to the Municipal Appraisal Center!"
Ye Anning nodded: "Should we call Director Guan?"
"No need, I know most of the people in the market appraisal department, I can get it done as soon as I go!"
But there's no doubt, it's fake no matter how it's made.
One can only imagine what kind of expression Guan Xingmin would have.
But after a few years, when he recalls this scene every time, he'll probably regret it to the core.
They're friends after all, so let's not make him feel too bad...
After some thought, the two got into the Grand Cherokee. But just as they closed the car door, Hao Jun called: "Are you in the bank outside the museum?"
Lin Sicheng paused for a moment, then looked outside: "How did you know?"
"How would I know? Those two, the father and son who sold you the painting yesterday, bought two express tickets, and without saying a word, they overturned Ding Liang's table."
Then, pointing at Ding Liang's nose, he cursed: "You're not even as good as a half-grown boy, and you're acting like a nobody... I knew it was you as soon as I heard 'half-grown boy'!"
Lin Sicheng was stunned: Is he really that irritable?
While he was still in a daze, Ye Anning pointed outside, and Lin Sicheng looked closely: Hao Jun and Guan Xingmin were standing at the entrance of the mountain gate, craning their necks and looking around.
"Aren't you two going to get it checked?"
"I'm not in the mood for this... Junior brother, it's a whole 1.5 million, don't you feel a little heartache: what if it's fake?"
Lin Sicheng chuckled, stuck his head out the window, and honked the horn again.
The two rushed over in a hurry, and without saying a word, they sat directly in the back seat.
Then, four eyes blinked. A hint of annoyance and doubt shone in their depths.
One 500,000 is nothing to Lin Sicheng, but what about four?
Two million yuan can buy an 80-90 square meter three-bedroom apartment near Xuanwumen in Beijing, or at least a 400 square meter villa in Tiantongyuan, Changping.
So, if they had known this would happen today, they would have tried to persuade them no matter what.
But then consider Lin Sicheng's personality: he would never be in such a hurry unless he was 80 or 90% sure.
No matter how I think about it, it feels a bit like "once you miss this opportunity, you'll never find another one like it."
The two exchanged a glance, hesitant to speak.
Lin Sicheng twisted the car keys, "To the City Inspection!"
Hao Jun and Guan Xingmin nodded in unison: "Yes, let's go to the market inspection!"
The journey was quiet. Lin Sicheng focused on driving, while Hao Jun and Guan Xingmin sat in the back seat, occasionally exchanging glances.
Having sent a text message in advance, Guan Xingmin instructed his colleagues to open the backup testing room and thoroughly test all the machines.
Having helped so many times, Lin Sicheng didn't stand on ceremony. After a brief exchange of pleasantries with Section Chief Shen, he handed him the three paintings:
"First, determine the age of the silk fabric by examining the craftsmanship and the degree of aging..."
"Secondly, ink analysis: first, observe the ink patterns and cracks; second, examine the degree of penetration; third, measure the graphite crystal form; and fourth, analyze the auxiliary components..."
"Third, pigment identification: specific composition and degree of oxidation... Fourth, further identification of touch-ups and repairs, first using infrared reflection imaging, then microscopic observation..."
"Fifth, Raman spectroscopy...Sixth, multispectral imaging...Seventh, carbon-13 correction..."
Lin Sicheng proceeded methodically, which surprised Section Chief Shen and Guan Xingmin.
I only knew that Lin Sicheng was good at visual inspection, but I didn't know that he was also so familiar with instrument testing: without extremely rich operating experience, it would be difficult to arrange such details.
But out of mere curiosity, the speed was anything but slow.
Most of these are instantaneous tests; the first report is ready within minutes of sampling.
Section Chief Shen handed it to Lin Sicheng, and Guan Xingmin and Hao Jun couldn't resist joining in as well.
Characteristics of silk weaving techniques: All three pieces are double-threaded interlacing. The first two pieces are denser in texture, consistent with the characteristics of silk paintings from the Southern Song Dynasty. The last piece is looser in texture, consistent with the characteristics of the Ming Dynasty.
However, and this is the crucial point: the first two pieces of silk are slightly yellow, the silk protein is fully crystallized, and they will not last more than thirty years after they are woven.
The second one is light yellow, with slight cracks in the silk protein, and its preservation time is no more than one hundred years.
Then came the second piece, which underwent microscopic examination: the ink in the first two pieces did not form ink cracks or crazing, and the ink in the piece that was worn only slightly penetrated, indicating that the oxidation process took no more than a hundred years.
The third part, pigment analysis: all three paintings and calligraphies contain lead white. However, this substance has a unique characteristic: it appears white when painted, but naturally oxidizes and turns black. The longer it's left, the darker the color becomes.
But they are all the same: the lead white in the first two paintings shows no signs of turning black, while the latter painting does, but only very slightly, and is definitely no more than a hundred years old.
Guan Xingmin and Hao Jun felt that there was no need to look at the previous and later reports; based on this one report alone, they could sentence him to death.
Ma Lin's two paintings are new imitations, and both are poorly made. Dai Jin's painting, at best, is a Republic-era imitation.
But Lin Sicheng remained calm as always, without even frowning.
Unconsciously, Guan Xingmin began to suspect again: Could it be that some new technology for cleaning up goods has emerged among the people, like that imitation Xuande incense burner?
But then I realized it was impossible: even if I could fool the machines, I could only fool one or two at most, not eight or nine.
While he was still suspicious, reports were delivered one after another. Lin Sicheng read and took notes as he went, and half of the blank paper in front of him was already filled with notes.
After reading the last report, he put down his pen and let out a soft sigh:
The silk used a sizing process, where a mixture of alum and animal glue was applied after the silk was woven. This served many purposes, but Lin Sicheng noted it down on paper primarily for one reason: water resistance and oxygen protection.
The iron tannin content in inks and pigments is extremely high, and it still has many functions, but the key point is still only one: water resistance and oxygen protection.
In addition, the ink also contains a high amount of alum glue, which is to prevent the ink from penetrating too much and to facilitate spreading. It originated in the Southern Song Dynasty, and thus the "silver hook and iron wire" painting technique came into being.
At the same time, it is water-resistant and oxygen-protecting.
But these are secondary. The key lies in the mercury sulfide and beeswax residue on the surface of the silk: this shows that the old man was not lying. Before the plastic film was applied, these three paintings were preserved using a method of "sealing the gaps with a camphor wood box and a mixture of beeswax, cinnabar, and lacquer mud".
In plain language: Vacuum. Take it out when you want to look at it, and seal it back up when you're done.
If these elements are combined, let alone eight or nine hundred years, even if they are left for a thousand years, these three paintings will still look the same.
The key point is that it cannot be detected by existing scientific instruments, or even by visual inspection.
Why is Lin Sicheng so sure?
This is not an isolated case: In 2005, the tomb of Xu Weili, an official of the Southern Song Dynasty, was robbed in Wuyi County. The seventeen volumes of Xu Weili's documents unearthed were sold by the tomb robbers for six years, but they could not sell them no matter what.
The price dropped from two million to two hundred thousand, then to twenty thousand. They were even forced to sell it separately: one roll for one thousand, but it still couldn't be sold.
The reason is exactly the same as these three items: they look brand new, but are fake no matter how you check them.
It wasn't until 2011, with a breakthrough in related technology, that it was identified as a first-class cultural relic.
Then, the tomb raiders were caught, and the estimated value of the cultural relics was 2 billion... a difference of a full 10,000 times.
The techniques used in the "Xu Weili Documents" are almost identical to those in these three paintings, especially the first two:
The "alum glue for oxygen prevention, vacuum wax sealing, and cinnabar for corrosion prevention" technique, which originated in the Southern Song Dynasty and is not even recorded in historical materials, should have been lost long ago.
Therefore, these three pieces are truly authentic works of art.
Add to that a lost technique for preserving ancient calligraphy and paintings, and it's only two million?
Cheaper than found...
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