After drinking tea and chatting, and admiring the chicken cup, a young man at the same table as Luo Yunhang stood up.
"I just stumbled upon a Han Dynasty jade disc here. Please take a look."
After saying that, he took out his jade disc and placed it in front of Xiang Yizhai first.
Xiang Yizhai looked down and examined it carefully, then smiled and said, "Not bad, Yanzong's eyesight is getting better and better."
The young man named Yanzong smiled smugly and glanced at Luo Yunhang, who was also Xiang Yizhai's nominal disciple and friend's child.
Seeing how highly everyone was praising Luo Yunhang, he suddenly couldn't sit still and eagerly took out the jade disc he had just acquired to show off.
Luo Yunhang saw through it but didn't say anything, just smiled slightly.
Everyone here is shrewd and won't hold a grudge against a young kid.
After this round of events, some elders brought out their own items for everyone to appreciate, which truly allowed Luo Yunhang to see many good things, various kinds of antiques, and broaden his horizons.
That concludes the tasting event.
The next activity is to test a few newcomers who want to join the antique association.
These were the young men who looked nervous and were looking around when Luo Yunhang first came in.
Master Li nudged Luo Yunhang: "Why don't you come along today? Joining the association will give you a title, which will be very helpful when you're out and about in the martial arts world."
Luo Yunhang thought, since I'm already here, I might as well join. Having another title is not bad either.
"Then I'll give it a try!"
Thus, he also became one of those who would be taking the exam.
The first test was relatively simple; it involved dating different artifacts.
Each person is given five items and must accurately state their origin and the era they belong to.
Since they were all young people, the elderly people didn't want to make things too difficult for them. The things they prepared were mostly common items, and those with a little knowledge of the subject could accurately describe the era they came from.
The five people sat down and helped Tianhong and the young man named Yanzong distribute the items.
Fang Yanzong helped distribute Luo Yunhang's exam materials.
These things were originally prepared by Fang Yanzong and Xiang Tianhong together.
Fang Yanzong deliberately selected some items that he thought were difficult to date, along with some miscellaneous items, and placed them in front of Luo Yunhang, intending to make things difficult for him.
Who told him to steal the spotlight with the chicken cup? We're here to deflate his arrogance.
After the items have been distributed, each person has twenty minutes to think.
Once someone has thought of an answer, they can raise their hand to signal and begin answering.
Luo Yunhang picked up the items on the table and examined them meticulously, one by one.
The first item is clearly an inkstone. It is a hand-held inkstone, in the style of the Song Dynasty. The material is also the same as that used for Duan inkstones. However, upon closer inspection, it can be seen that the craftsmanship is very rough, and the color and luster are not very good.
Judging from its craftsmanship and patina, this inkstone is a work from the Republican era.
A hand-held inkstone from the Republican era.
An ordinary young person might hesitate about this inkstone and mistake it for a Song Dynasty inkstone, but Luo Yunhang is no ordinary person.
The second item is a lacquerware piece.
The Qing Dynasty was the golden age of lacquerware development, and the monochromatic lacquerware produced included vermilion lacquer, black lacquer, and gold lacquer.
Black lacquer and vermilion lacquer are the most commonly used decorative techniques in lacquerware, and they are also the most frequently produced and popular varieties in lacquerware craftsmanship.
Black lacquer and vermilion lacquerware are mostly practical items. Although they have no decoration or patterns, they are prized for their beautiful shapes and pure lacquer colors.
This item is a standard red lacquer work from the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty.
Judging from its appearance, it is a sachet.
Luo Yunhang confirmed that this was a Qing Dynasty Qianlong period vermilion lacquer incense box.
The third item is a painting.
This is a landscape painting, and judging from its style, it seems to be from the Qing Dynasty.
However, the print on it is quite interesting.
"Little Yunlin"
Upon seeing this seal, Luo Yunhang confirmed the artist's identity for the painting.
He glanced thoughtfully at Fang Yanzong, wondering if this guy was taking revenge on his own and deliberately putting all the difficult tasks on his shoulders.
Xiao Yunlin, how could an ordinary antique novice possibly answer this question?
Fortunately, he had Xiang Yizhai's experience in connoisseurship, otherwise he would not have been unable to answer.
Gao Jian, a painter of the Qing Dynasty, whose courtesy names were Danyou and Deyuan, and whose pseudonyms were Lüyun, Danyouzi, Yiyunshanren, Lüyunshanren, and Yuhui Laoren, was a poet and landscape painter. He studied the paintings of the Four Masters of the Yuan Dynasty and admired Ni Zan. He also had a seal that read "Little Ni Zan".
This is undoubtedly Gao Jian's work.
The fourth item is a Yixing teapot.
Judging from its shape, it is a lotus seed teapot. The inscription on the body reads: "It nourishes your virtue, washes away the summer heat, and is a friend of the virtuous, so that you may enjoy it day and night."
Inscriptions on teapot bodies originated in the Qing Dynasty. Judging from the shape alone, this is a Zisha teapot from the Qing Dynasty.
However, no marks were left on it, and its author or owner remains unknown.
Luo Yunhang decided to use his X-ray vision to observe carefully again.
Upon closer inspection, the problem became apparent.
Who would have thought that the owner of this pot would leave his name on the spout?
"Hidden Pot"
This is the pseudonym of Chen Mingyuan, a famous Yixing teapot master from the Qing Dynasty.
Chen Mingyuan, also known as Hefeng, Shixia Shanren, and Huyin, was a renowned Yixing purple clay artist during the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty. He was a master craftsman whose teapot art and exquisite works have been highly accomplished over the past few centuries.
If this Zisha teapot were only a Qing Dynasty piece, it would only be considered moderately valuable. However, if you add the name of Chen Mingyuan to it, it becomes extremely valuable.
It's obvious that the person who took it out as an exam item didn't know its true value, otherwise they wouldn't have been so willing to part with it.
Never mind, let's put it aside for now.
Time was running out, so Luo Yunhang looked at the last item.
Xiang Yizhai and Master Li, who had been watching him intently, observed him staring at the teapot for a long time, even using a magnifying glass and a flashlight to examine the spout, looking rather mysterious, which seemed rather odd to them.
At this point, one of the young men had finished looking at all the items and raised his hand to indicate that he could start answering the questions.
Xiang Yizhai and the others no longer had time to look at Luo Yunhang, and focused on listening to the man's description.
Luo Yunhang's last item was quite normal; it was a coin.
It is a standard Qin Banliang coin, a currency from the Qin Dynasty.
After Qin unified the six states, it adopted Qin coins as the national currency, and Qin Banliang coins became the lower currency, symmetrical to the upper currency, gold, and were minted and circulated throughout the country.
The Qin Ban coins have tall, narrow, and slightly curved inscriptions on both sides. They are round on the outside and square at the inside, with no rim on either side. The shape and inscriptions are exquisite.
It has been confirmed that it is indeed a Qin Banliang coin.
Luo Yunhang checked his belongings, and it was almost time.
He began to listen to the stories told by the people around him.
Because he took the longest, he was the last to speak on the topic.
The more he listened, the more he felt something was wrong. Was the set he was working on a bit too difficult?
Why did he hear that the items belonging to the others were so simple?
They are distinctive and easy to identify; there are basically no miscellaneous items, and they are all genuine products.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
