Chapter 39: I've Learned Something New
"What do you mean by 'sitting backwards'? It means 'sitting backwards in the main hall'!"
Hao Jun muttered to himself, "Old Guan, have you heard of this?"
Guan Xingmin shook his head: "You're a miscellaneous expert, and you haven't even heard of this? Where am I supposed to hear about it?"
yes?
All enamelware produced before the Jiaqing Emperor came from the enamel workshop of the Imperial Household Department. However, there were only a few workshops in the enamel workshop, so there was no such thing as a "Daozuotang" (倒座堂).
But it's even more impossible to say that this plate is a later imitation.
The vintage feel doesn't lie, the recycled cobalt blue material doesn't lie, and the craftsmanship doesn't lie either—it's 100% imperial style...
Just as he was racking his brains, Lin Sicheng suddenly blurted out, "It's not a hall, it should be a room!"
"The room with the back facing the wall...which room with the back facing the wall?"
"Prince Yi's Mansion!"
Hao Jun was stunned for a moment, and a thought flashed through his mind: "During the Yongzheng period... Prince Yi, Yunxiang... no... you mean: enamelware was fired in Prince Yi's mansion?"
"It was burned, and for quite a long time!" Lin Sicheng nodded. "It started burning after Yongzheng ascended the throne and continued until Yunxiang passed away..."
How did you know?
Historical records state: The Draft History of the Qing Dynasty: Imperial Edict (Yongzheng 2nd year): Twenty pairs of newly fired enamel-painted ewers from the miscellaneous workshops (enamelware workshop) have uneven glazes, color variations, and inconsistent quality… Yunxiang is instructed to have them fired within the palace, ensuring they are handled with care…
According to the Qing Dynasty archives: On the fourth day of the second month (the fourth year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign), Prince Yi delivered nine dark dragon wine cups. The Emperor ordered: Two cups are acceptable, the remaining seven to be carefully fired in your residence...
On the tenth day of the third month, Prince Yi delivered seven kinds of Western enamel cups: moon white, yellow, green, light blue, pine yellow, light green, and black...
In the sixth year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign: An imperial edict was issued: "You (Yunxiang) are to prepare enamel oil (a special oil for enamelware) in your residence for Nian Xiyao (Nian Gengyao's elder brother, then serving as the Grand Steward of the Imperial Household Department) to use in firing enamelware."
"Because corruption was rampant during the Kangxi era, and enamel materials were too expensive, and the Imperial Household Department was bloated and inefficient, shortly after Yongzheng ascended the throne, he ordered Yunxiang to select craftsmen from the Imperial Household Department to conduct research and trial firing within the department."
Once successful, it would be handed over to the enamel workshop for mass production... At that time, the workshop for color mixing and trial firing was located in the inverted-seat room where Prince Yi's servants lived... All enamelware that was tested was marked with the mark "Made in the Inverted-Seat Room"..."
Lin Sicheng spoke calmly and unhurriedly, leaving Hao Jun and Guan Xingmin stunned.
Putting aside whether this pot is genuine or not, and whether it came from Prince Yi's residence, let's talk about the historical sources Lin Sicheng just mentioned: This is a historical manuscript, not an ancient poem, so how did he pinpoint the exact year, month, and day?
Looking at the basin again: the shape is correct, the glaze is correct, the era is correct, and the provenance is detailed... everything is perfect, it just needs to be run through the machine.
Guan Xingmin's eyes lit up: "Then how should this be calculated?"
Lin Sicheng thought for a moment: "It can barely be considered a court-made piece, but it certainly can't compare to the genuine imperial court version. Firstly, it only has paintings and seals, without poems and calligraphy, which is far from the characteristic of Yongzheng enamelware combining 'poetry, calligraphy, painting, and seals'..."
Secondly, the inscription and provenance: Even if it is the Prince Yi's Mansion, the back room is just a place for servants to live, and it cannot compare to the Imperial Household Department and the "Made in the Yongzheng Period" mark.
Third, since it's a trial firing, it means that the craftsmanship and glaze are inferior to the mass-produced items from the Imperial Workshop... Fourth, it's too damaged... So, it has some value, but not very high..."
At first, Guan Xingmin listened attentively, but the more he listened, the more something seemed off: what did he mean by "having some value"?
What, you're only satisfied if this pot fetches five or six million?
Get this straight, it's a dog bowl, and you only spent two thousand, not two million.
Besides, they even brought a dog along.
The words of cursing welled up in Guan Xingmin's mouth, but he swallowed them back. He pointed at Lin Sicheng with his finger and then turned away.
Huh... what's wrong with Lao Hao?
His eyes were fixed on the basin, his lips moving incessantly, as if he were muttering something.
Listen closer: "Damn it... damn it..."
"The dog bowl has become enamelware, and I'm still a miscellaneous expert?"
Guan Xingmin was stunned for a moment, then almost burst out laughing.
It's understandable that I didn't notice at the time.
First, the dog suddenly rushed out, startling not only Lao Hao but also him. He had no time to pay attention to what the dog was chewing on.
Secondly, it was wrapped too tightly: the only part of the basin that the dog frequently licked was barely visible, which was the two goldfish with chipped porcelain. Unless you held it close to your chest and looked closely, you'd think it was just rust on the metal.
The crucial point is that this bowl was incredibly filthy: it was a mixture of dog feces and dog food, a dark, yellowish slurry, and it stank horribly. Forget about holding it in your arms; just looking at it made you feel nauseous.
So, even after three more attempts, he and Lao Hao still missed the treasure.
What Lao Hao couldn't understand was that after Lin Sicheng washed this basin, he could see the glaze, the craftsmanship, the age, and even the mark... There was enough evidence, right?
But he just couldn't remember the origin of the "reverse-facing room".
Lin Sicheng, on the other hand, even memorized historical materials perfectly?
Adding to the feather duster from before, and then the purple clay teapot, Lao Hao's mentality completely collapsed: he couldn't compete with calligraphy and painting, he couldn't compete with wood carving, he couldn't compete with porcelain, and now he couldn't even compete with miscellaneous items.
Then what kind of miscellaneous expert am I?
"How old are you and how old is he?" Guan Xingmin chuckled and patted Hao Jun on the shoulder. "If I gave you a copy of the 'Draft History of the Qing Dynasty,' could you memorize it?"
What the hell?
Moreover, someone like Lin Sicheng could be so precise, down to the year, month, and day.
Thinking about it this way, I felt much better: it wasn't that Old Hao's eyesight was bad, it was just that he was getting old and his memory wasn't very good...
Hmm, something seems off?
How old are you? How old is he?... Lao Guan, what do you mean?
Seeing that he was about to realize what was going on, Guan Xingmin quickly changed the subject: "While it's still fresh in my mind, let's give you an estimate first!"
"Oh right..." Hao Jun thought for a moment, "Four or five hundred thousand is easy, and with an expert, six or seven hundred thousand is normal."
Lin Sicheng nodded: "It's tall enough!"
Guan Xingmin nodded: It is indeed tall enough.
He had previously thought it would only cost three or four hundred thousand.
Of course, it's far from the five or six million yuan transaction records of Yongzheng enamelware in the past two years, but as Lin Sicheng said: after all, it is a trial firing, and it can barely be associated with "court making", so it is not low.
On the other hand, if you found it as a dog bowl, how much do you expect to sell it for?
Hao Jun took the basin and shook off the water at the bottom: "If you're not in a hurry, I'll take it back to the shop and try to sell it for 800,000!"
Having just swindled Professor Wang out of 500,000 yuan yesterday, Lin Sicheng was naturally in no hurry.
"Okay, take your time looking..."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a voice came from behind him: "Eight hundred thousand, I'll take it..."
No, where did it come from?
The three of them instinctively turned around.
Under the shade of the trees by the roadside, just half a green belt away from them, a brand-new Mercedes-Benz SUV with a Beijing license plate was parked.
The front and rear windows all rolled down, surrounding a circle of heads.
The car had been parked here before, but the windows were up, so no one knew there were people inside. The three of them were so engrossed in washing the dog bowl that they didn't notice the people in the car had been staring at them for quite some time.
Upon closer inspection, one could see that there were men and women, young and old, and their gazes were remarkably similar: they looked at the dog, then at Lin Sicheng, then at the dog again, and then at Lin Sicheng again.
Their expressions were increasingly bizarre: a dog bowl could become an antique?
Think back to before, when it was covered in dog poop and stank horribly?
Now look at it: worth seven or eight hundred thousand?
I've learned something new...
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