135: Chapter 135 Auction Commission

After returning, he moistened the inkstone well with clear water and tested it; the ink dissolved extremely smoothly without any feeling of resistance.

Duan Inkstones from the old pits of the ming dynasty are already rare, and those with 'stone eyes' are even harder to find.

This inkstone is large in size and in perfect condition.

The inscription on the back adds the value of scholar usage, making it an item with a story to tell on the market.

The third item.

A song dynasty shadow blue glazed carved Prunus Vase (Origin: Heavenly Kingdom Holy Treasury).

The Prunus Vase has a small mouth and short neck, with broad shoulders that taper down to the waist.

The lines are fluid, the shape is standard, and it stands about thirty-four centimeters tall.

Shadow blue glaze is a characteristic glaze color of song dynasty Jingdezhen.

The color is white with a hint of blue, and blue with a hint of white.

Under light, it presents a translucent texture, like blue-white jade, which is why it is also called "blue-white glaze."

The carving on the vase body was done with a bamboo knife.

The knife work is crisp and clean, without hesitation.

The pattern is of intertwined lotus flowers, with the petals spread out, the lines graceful, and the veins of the leaves clearly carved.

The overall pattern is fluid and natural, with no signs of later repairs or recarving.

The glaze has natural crazing—fine, dense cracks caused by the different expansion coefficients of the body and glaze during long-term storage.

The color is slightly yellowish, a typical characteristic of antique items.

song dynasty porcelain has always been a popular category in the international auction market.

In recent years, the price of shadow blue glaze has continued to rise.

Coupled with this Prunus Vase's perfect shape and exquisite carving, its valuation on the Christies platform should not be low.

The fourth item.

A Blue and White bowl with landscape and figure motifs from the Emperor Kangxi period of the qing dynasty (Origin: Heavenly Kingdom Holy Treasury).

The bowl has a diameter of about eighteen centimeters, with a thin and light body and a well-formed foot.

Inside the foot ring, there is a six-character mark in regular script enclosed in double blue circles: "Made in the Kangxi Period of the Great Qing Dynasty."

The calligraphy is elegant and steady.

The outer wall of the bowl is painted with Blue and White landscape and figure scenes.

The composition is expansive, with distant mountains rendered in pale blue pigment, showing distinct layers.

In the foreground, there are pine trees, rocks, and a thatched pavilion.

A scholar sits in the pavilion with an attendant boy standing nearby.

The brushwork is sparse and clear, possessing the artistic charm of literati painting.

The Blue and White pigment of the Emperor Kangxi period is rich, a vibrant blue-green, with a pure color—a typical style of Emperor Kangxi Blue and White.

However, this bowl has a flaw: there is a hairline crack on the rim, extending downwards for about three centimeters.

The crack is as fine as a hair, but it does exist, which is why it was not classified as a top-tier item when it was originally stored in the Holy Treasury.

Last time, after returning from Jinling.

Hu Tian had carefully examined the direction and depth of the crack against the light.

After pondering for a moment, he took out repair tools from the System Space.

First, he meticulously filled the crack with a specialized filler material, then mixed pigments that matched the original glaze color perfectly.

He applied the color in layers, each as thin as a cicada's wing, waiting for each to dry before applying the next.

After repeating this several times, he finally polished it gently with fine sandpaper to finish.

After the repair was completed, he examined it against the light again.

The crack was almost invisible, and unless one looked very closely, it was impossible to tell that it had ever been damaged.

Once the flaw in its condition was repaired, the market value of this Emperor Kangxi Blue and White landscape and figure bowl could be significantly increased; it was an item worth treating seriously.

The fifth item.

An Official Kiln bronze censer from the Tianqi period of the ming dynasty (Origin: Heavenly Kingdom Holy Treasury).

The censer stands about twelve centimeters tall with a mouth diameter of about sixteen centimeters.

It is shaped like a li-tripod, with three rounded legs.

The body is round and full, the rim is flat, and two symmetrical handles stand on either side of the rim, facing upwards.

The design is archaic and solemn.

The bronze quality is excellent, with a substantial weight that feels heavy in the hand.

When tapped, it emits a clear metallic resonance that lingers for a long time.

The surface of the censer has a deep patina, chestnut-colored with patches of reddish-brown.

It is a natural patina formed by years of smoke and handling.

The luster is warm and the light reflection is subtle—an effect that can never be replicated by artificial aging.

The bottom of the censer is cast with a six-character mark in regular script: "Made in the Tianqi Period of the Great ming dynasty."

The characters are clear, the casting is crisp, and there are no messy traces.

The number of surviving bronze censers from the Tianqi period is far fewer than those of the xuande incense burner, and Official Kiln bronze censers are even rarer.

The Tianqi Emperor reigned for only seven years, and the scale of imperial ware production during that time was limited.

The few Tianqi Official Kiln bronze censers that have survived are highly sought after by collectors both domestically and abroad.

The inner wall of the censer's chamber has soot marks from historical use, indicating that it was indeed used for burning incense and was not merely a decorative ornament.

This actually adds to its historical value.

The chestnut-colored patina glows slightly under the warmth of the palm; it is an item that one cannot bear to put down.

He took the five items out of the display cabinets in the collection room, wrapped them individually in soft cloth, and placed them in a wooden tray he had prepared in advance.

He lined the bottom of each item with a layer of cotton cloth to prevent them from shifting during transport.

After finishing this, it was nearly three-thirty.

He went to change his clothes, washed his face, returned to the living room, and placed the five antiques along with the tray on the long low cabinet in the living room, waiting for the people from Christies auction house to arrive.

A few minutes before four o'clock, the doorbell rang.

He went to open the door.

A black business van was parked at the entrance.

The door opened, and four people stepped out.

Walking in front was a woman in her early forties, of medium height, wearing a well-fitted dark blue suit.

Her hair was neatly tied back, and she carried a leather briefcase, looking capable.

She walked up and took the initiative to extend her hand: "Mr. Hu, hello. I am Chen Jiaxin. We spoke on the phone; I have come here specifically for this."

Hu Tian shook hands with the four of them and said: "Please come in."

Following behind her was an elderly man in his early sixties, who appeared to be the appraisal expert.

The remaining two were a young man and an assistant pushing a suitcase, which likely contained professional materials for packing and transporting the antiques.

Several people entered the living room.

Chen Jiaxin looked around the room, her gaze falling on the tray on the low cabinet.

She did not walk over immediately, but stood by the sofa, waiting for Hu Tian to speak.

Hu Tian said: "Please sit."

They sat down, and he poured a cup of tea for each of them.

Then he walked to the low cabinet and moved the tray to the coffee table in the living room.

He lifted the soft cloths from the tray one by one.

The qing dynasty Yongzheng Emperor Famille Rose dish with peach and bat motif; the market valuation given by the system: between 12 million and 18 million.

The ming dynasty Duan Inkstone; the market valuation given by the system: between 3 million and 6 million.

The song dynasty shadow blue glazed carved Prunus Vase; the market valuation given by the system: between 23 million and 36 million.

The qing dynasty Emperor Kangxi Blue and White bowl with landscape and figure motifs; the market valuation given by the system: between 8 million and 13 million.

The ming dynasty Tianqi Official Kiln bronze censer; the market valuation given by the system: between 28 million and 38 million.

Chen Jiaxin took a pair of white cotton gloves out of her bag and put them on.

The young man also put on gloves, and the two approached the coffee table.

The elderly man was surnamed Zhou.

Chen Jiaxin introduced him as a senior appraiser who has collaborated with Christies in the Asian region for many years.

His surname was Zhou, and his given name was Jingzhi.

Zhou Jingzhi nodded slightly to Hu Tian in greeting without saying much.

He took out a small high-intensity flashlight, a magnifying glass, and a pair of white silk inner gloves as thin as cicada wings from his bag, wearing them under the cotton gloves.

The first item he examined was that qing dynasty Yongzheng Famille Rose dish with peach and bat motif.

Zhou Jingzhi did not touch it immediately.

He first slowly swept the high-intensity flashlight across the front of the dish, then turned to the side to look at the refraction of the glaze, and then leaned in close to examine the junction of the body and glaze.

His movements were not fast, and every step was steady.

After looking for about two minutes, he slowly picked up the dish, held it in his palm, turned it over, and shone the flashlight on the bottom of the dish.

"The continuous branch pattern of the Yongzheng Official Kiln—the peach branches from the center of the dish to the outer wall are connected.

The composition is expansive, and the bat pattern uses iron red, with a steady color."

Zhou Jingzhi's voice was not loud, as if he were talking to himself or speaking to Chen Jiaxin, "The body is fine, the foot ring is neatly trimmed, and the six-character mark in regular script 'Made in the Yongzheng Period of the Great Qing Dynasty' is in two lines.

The Blue and White color is elegant; it is a typical product of the Yongzheng Official Kiln Imperial Workshop."

He gently placed the dish back on the cloth in the tray, looked up at Chen Jiaxin, and nodded: "It's authentic."

Chen Jiaxin understood.

She took out a standard contract from her briefcase and laid it flat on the other side of the coffee table.

"Mr. Hu, regarding this Famille Rose dish with peach and bat motif, we have a clear grasp of the transaction records for similar Yongzheng Official Kiln pieces in the international market over the past three years.

At the Hong Kong Sotheby's autumn auction last year, a similar Yongzheng Famille Rose dish sold for a hammer price of 14.8 million Hong Kong dollars."

Chen Jiaxin spoke at a moderate pace, "Your item is in perfect condition, with almost no nicks, and the decorative layout is more expansive.

We suggest setting the reserve price at 8.8 million RMB, with an estimated range of 12 million to 18 million."

Hu Tian held his teacup, listened, and did not rush to respond.

He knew that a reserve price of 8.8 million was not low, but it wasn't generous either.

Christies tends to set the reserve price at about 70% of the lower valuation limit, partly to facilitate the transaction and partly to allow room for subsequent premium increases.

"I have no objection to the reserve price."

Hu Tian said, "I would like to adjust the upper valuation limit to 20 million.

The continuous branch composition of this dish is a relatively rare type among Yongzheng Famille Rose; you know that better than I do."

Chen Jiaxin glanced at Zhou Jingzhi, who did not speak but just nodded slightly.

"That is acceptable."

Chen Jiaxin was very direct.

She took a ballpoint pen from her pocket, filled in the reserve price and other information in the contract, added the upper limit figure in the valuation column, and handed over the pen, "Mr. Hu, please review the consignment terms.

As for the commission, we follow the convention of 10% of the hammer price, tax included."

Hu Tian took the contract and flipped through it from beginning to end.

There were no surprises in the terms.

He signed the signature page and pressed his fingerprint.

Chen Jiaxin put away the contract and wrote down the serial number in the inventory column for the first item.

The assistant next to her opened the suitcase, took out customized mulberry paper and acid-free cotton, and, wearing gloves, carefully wrapped the Famille Rose dish and placed it into a wooden box lined with foam.

The second item was the ming dynasty Duan Inkstone.

This time, Zhou Jingzhi switched to a smaller magnifying glass.

He turned the inkstone over and over, examining the carving of the ink pool, and gently rubbed his fingertips over the inkstone well to feel the fineness of the stone.

He even dipped a little tea and dropped it on the edge of the inkstone well to observe the speed at which the water droplet converged.

"Material from the Daxidong pit of the old pits; the stone eyes are 'living eyes,' and the eye halos are distinct."

Zhou Jingzhi narrowed his eyes, "The ink pool is carved with cloud and dragon motifs.

The knife technique follows the style of the mid-to-late ming dynasty—clean, with much negative space, not as complex as the qing dynasty.

The bottom inscription reads 'Zigang'..."

He paused and looked up at Hu Tian, "Is this a borrowed inscription?"