After everyone finished viewing the Fanghou Gong on the stage, the bidding auction was about to begin.
This kind of auction is very interesting. Instead of using money as a measure of value, the participants use antiques as the bargaining chips. The sellers also choose who to trade with based on their own assessment and eyesight. In addition to the fun of the transaction, it is also a competition of the eyesight and experience of both parties.
As the host came on stage, I returned to Mr. Leng's side: "I have already examined the item. It is undoubtedly genuine, in excellent condition, and a rare treasure."
"Thanks for your hard work."
Mr. Leng nodded slightly, his gaze fixed on the exhibition booth, looking as if he were facing a formidable enemy.
Seeing him like this, I suddenly realized that what the middle-aged man had just said to me made a lot of sense. It seemed that Mr. Leng was really determined to take this Fanghou wine cup away today to avenge his previous humiliation.
The host stood on the stage, raised the microphone, and said: "Ladies and gentlemen, this late Shang Dynasty bronze Fanghou gong has completed the appraisal process. I believe that after witnessing its splendor, you will be moved by its exquisite beauty and touched by its profound weight! Now we will begin the first round of bidding. Please present your exchange items if you are interested."
Old Mao held up the number plate in his hand, and the staff member who was specifically there to serve Mr. Leng quickly came over and took away the Buddha statue with its backlight.
This Fanghou wine cup was quite expensive. Although many small shopkeepers coveted it, they also knew that such items were actually reserved for the big shopkeepers. Despite everyone's envy, only five people ultimately participated in the auction.
Among the most eye-catching auction items, besides Mr. Leng's haloed Buddha statue, there was another item that caught my attention.
It is a Tianhuang stone ornament about 30 centimeters tall, carved with a pattern of offering peaches to celebrate a birthday, and the carving has obvious traces of the mid-Qing Dynasty.
Tianhuang stone is revered as the "Emperor of Stones" and is treasured by the world.
People have summarized Tianhuang stone into "six virtues," namely, the stone has six characteristics: fine texture, compactness, warmth, smoothness, condensation, and greasiness, making it excellent for seal making.
By the mid-Qing Dynasty, Tianhuang stone was favored by the imperial family and nobles, and its price exceeded that of gold. As a result, the production area of Shoushan was nearly exhausted, and now it can only be seen in museums, major collectors and auction houses.
During the two hundred years from the Kangxi era to the end of the Qing dynasty, skilled craftsmen crafted Tianhuang stones, and those who used shallow relief carving to depict Tianhuang stones were considered to have produced excellent, exquisite, and divine works. Many of the exquisite stone pieces listed in Qing dynasty documents have become legends and are now extinct.
The "Tuizhai Seal Collection" of the 27th year of the Qianlong reign divided Tianhuang into Tianhuang Dong and Tianhuang Shi. Tianhuang Dong was classified as Dong Shi, while Tianhuang was classified as Miscellaneous Stone. This shows that at that time, Tianhuang Dong was valued more than Tianhuang Shi.
Therefore, this Tianhuang jelly is much more precious than Tianhuang, and such a large piece of Tianhuang jelly is even rarer.
The Tianhuang jade ornament on the display stand is translucent and free of impurities, making it an excellent piece. Its value is even slightly higher than Mr. Leng's haloed Buddha statue.
At first glance, I guessed that this thing was probably taken out by Lin Jianghao.
Mr. Leng looked at the items on the display stand and leisurely picked up a purple clay teapot from the table: "It seems that Lin Jianghao really came here today for a contest of skills. Xiao Duan, who do you think the person upstairs will choose?"
I thought for a moment and said, "It's a tough choice, but it has to be between you and Lin Jianghao. The other people's offerings are much lower quality than yours. If it were me, I would probably choose the Tianhuang jade. That way, if you don't raise the price, he can still maximize his profits."
Mr. Leng smiled and said, "So, do you think we should continue to raise the price?"
"You can add more, but in moderation."
I spoke frankly: "The price of the haloed Buddha statue we sent up is already comparable to that of Fang Hougong. If we continue to raise the price, we are no longer buying the value of the antique itself, but rather your level of affection for it. If one day your enthusiasm for this thing fades, the extra money spent will be the cost we incur today."
"You've overlooked a very important point, and that is influence."
Mr. Leng shook his head slightly: "Today, inside and outside this tea party, countless eyes are fixed on Lin Jianghao. If I lose face, I will not only lose face in the industry, but it will also affect business outside the industry. So what I need to consider is not just that piece of copper."
I still don't know what kind of business Mr. Leng is in; I only know that he owns several coal mines in Shanxi.
Seeing that he had already put it this way, I didn't continue to persuade him, but only reminded him, "Lin Jianghao knows your purpose today, so there's a possibility that he might raise the price. You should be careful about this."
At this moment, the host on stage announced, "The auctioneer has selected the Tianhuang jade ornament, lot number 002! Now, let's begin the bidding! Bidding number 002, one round!"
"Riding a tiger is a dilemma; how can we guard against it?"
When Mr. Leng heard the host call out, he tapped the table lightly with his finger: "Add the phoenix crown that Xiao Duan gave me a few days ago!"
Upon hearing this, Lao Mao immediately raised his sign.
Immediately afterwards, staff members brought the phoenix crown to the stage and placed it next to the haloed Buddha statue.
Upon seeing this, the man who had sent the Tibetan monk Fang Houzun immediately led two old men to surround him and begin the appraisal.
In this kind of auction, although it is a barter, it does not mean exchanging a bunch of worthless things for one, or using one valuable thing to take a bunch of worthless things. Instead, it treats antiques as chips on a gambling table, and every bid must tip the scales of victory in one's own favor.
However, today's auction is not a competition between Mr. Leng and the seller, but rather a contest between him and Lin Jianghao using the seller as a seesaw.
The phoenix crown I gave to Mr. Leng was a replica, but it was an old replica. Such replicas are the most difficult to authenticate. If I hadn't taken it out of the tomb of the Prince of Ze myself, I'm afraid even I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference between the real and the fake.
The others at the scene were equally silent when they saw what Mr. Leng had brought over.
Although this phoenix crown may not be as valuable as that haloed Buddha statue, its cultural and research value is extremely significant. Mr. Leng's placement of this item is clearly a checkmate, an attempt to completely extinguish Lin Jianghao's competitive ambitions.
While the people on stage were appraising the items, I glanced at the booth next door and saw Lin Jianghao and Asheng whispering to each other. Then Asheng went to the back of the display shelf, brought out a brocade box, and waved to a staff member.
At this moment, the item that Mr. Leng took out was clearly more valuable than Fang Hougong himself, but Lin Jianghao did not seem to be prepared to end the dispute there.
Approximately five minutes later, the auctioneer, having received confirmation, announced, "The auctioneer has selected lot number 001! Now, let's begin the bidding process..."
Before the host could finish speaking, Ah Sheng's voice rang out: "002, raise the price!"
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