As soon as Zhang Junping heard the old man say the name of the pastel plate, he knew that the old man was also an expert.
That's right, I am a salesperson in a trust store who specializes in buying and selling antiques, cultural relics and precious commodities, so how could I not know this?
In my previous life, I collected antiques and pretended to be stupid, and I was used to pretending to be pigs and eating tigers.
The branch pattern is also called wall flower. This kind of porcelain first appeared on the pastel porcelain of the Yongzheng period.
Later, during the Daoguang period, this branch pattern began to be applied to blue and white porcelain.
"I made you laugh!" Zhang Junping clasped his hands and said, "Please take the pastel peony plate.
And bring over the enamel-colored porcelain Wufushou peach teapot together."
As he spoke, he knocked on the counter with his hand, meaning to put the porcelain on the counter.
"It turns out that sir is an expert!" The old man also clasped his fists and greeted Zhang Junping in return.
As he spoke, he took the porcelain that Zhang Junping asked for and carefully placed it on the counter.
Zhang Junping gently picked up the pastel peony plate and turned it over to look at the background.
This is the technique for identifying porcelain. First look at the base, then the shape, then the pattern, and finally the glaze color.
The markings on porcelain of all dynasties are different, and the brushwork, fonts and colors are all unique.
For example, fonts in the Ming Dynasty mostly used regular script, but there were a few exceptions in the Yongle, Xuande, and Hongzhi years. In the Shunzhi and Kangxi dynasties of the Qing Dynasty, regular script was also popular. During the Yongzheng period, regular script scripts were more common than seal script scripts. During the Qianlong period, seal script scripts gradually became more common than regular script scripts.
After Jiaqing, seal script became the mainstream, and it was not until the end of the Qing Dynasty that regular script returned to the main trend.
The writing of the bottom invoice is very rigorous, and the inscriptions are written by craftsmen with relatively high level of calligraphy.
Genuine inscriptions generally have a relatively high level of writing and are natural.
When imitations pursue the level of calligraphy, they often ignore the word "natural" and the fonts are relatively stiff.
However, identifying porcelain through calligraphy requires a relatively high level of calligraphy appreciation.
Zhang Junping took a closer look at the bottom of the inscription, which showed four blue and white regular scripts, made in the Yongzheng year.
The font, color, and brushwork are all correct. Zhang Junping is already more than half sure that this is a genuine product.
Turn it over and look at the shape, decoration, and glaze color.
Official kiln porcelain of all dynasties has strict regulations on the shape of the vessel, that is, there are regulations on the size.
Rather than the craftsmen themselves producing as much as they want.
Zhang Junping is very sure that this is the authentic Yongzheng pastel peony plate.
A large pastel dish in very good condition.
Then I looked at several other pieces, all of which were pastels with branch patterns from the Yongzheng and Qianlong periods.
"I want these pieces. How much do they cost?"
"This Yongzheng pastel peony plate is a pair, which costs you a total of two hundred and eighty yuan.
There are four pieces of this Qianlong pastel lotus-patterned bowl in total, and I will charge you five hundred.
This Kangxi enamel-colored porcelain teapot with five blessings and longevity peach pattern comes with four small tea bowls. It will cost you 300.
A total of one thousand and eighty yuan." The old man quickly quoted the price.
Zhang Junping was shocked. Who the hell said that antiques were cheap after the founding of the People's Republic of China and before the 1980s?
What a fucking nonsense.
These six pastels and a set of enamel porcelain could be sold for more than 100 million in future generations.
But now it only costs 1,000 yuan, which is really a bargain price.
Damn it, a Shichahai courtyard house in future generations will easily cost hundreds of millions.
In this era, one thousand yuan is enough to buy two houses in a courtyard house in Shichahai.
So, good things are never cheap.
"Comrade, you are also lucky. These things were just collected this morning.
If you come a little later, you might...
I think you are an expert and you really like old gadgets, so I quoted you the real price." Seeing Zhang Junping didn't speak, the old man thought Zhang Junping was too expensive, so he explained.
"I want these things!
I'll look at the others and settle the bill together later." Zhang Junping nodded readily without any further hesitation.
Isn’t it just one year’s salary? You can’t miss good things when you come across them.
"Okay, you can take a look!
I can also recommend it to you depending on what category you like."
"I like all good things!
Each of these old things is a memory of history. It is a treasure accumulated over time, which contains the cultural essence of our ancestors.
So, if you have any good items, feel free to bring them out.
I want jade, porcelain, calligraphy and painting, rare ancient books, furniture and woodware." He said and took out a thick five dozen dollars from his satchel.
They are all in ten-yuan denominations, so one dozen is worth one thousand yuan, five dozen is five thousand.
This was definitely a huge sum of money in the 1970s and 1980s.
This money was not obtained by Zhang Junping through inflated expense reimbursements.
My predecessor helped colleagues in the bureau purchase supplies. There were always losses during procurement and transportation, so the price sold to colleagues was always slightly higher than what they purchased. Everyone knew this and understood it.
In fact, the predecessor was already very solid, with just a little added wear and tear. In this way, the final money received each time the materials were purchased was hundreds of dollars higher than the cost.
Some buyers can earn thousands a year just by helping their colleagues carry supplies.
Zhang Junping's five thousand was saved through two years of hard work.
"Wait a moment!" The old man took a glance and knew that Zhang Junping was a big customer. He said no more, turned around and took a few things from the shelves and put them on the counter.
"These things were just collected yesterday. Please give me a look." As he spoke, the old man slowly opened one of the scrolls.
Zhang Junping's attention was immediately attracted by the contents of the scroll.
He leaned over and looked at it carefully for a long time before standing up straight. Just as he was about to speak, an old voice came from beside him: "Lao Hu, when did you collect these fish and duck pictures of Bada Shanren? This is a good thing, I want it.
Got it!"
Zhang Junping frowned and turned to look at the speaker.
I don't know when, an old man with a gray beard and a strong body appeared next to him.
It was this person who spoke just now.
"Old comrade, although it is New China now, there are still some rules that we must abide by!"
"What are you talking about, little comrade? Why am I not following the rules? Buying and selling is voluntary, I am willing to buy and he is willing to sell! What does it have to do with you?" the old man shouted loudly with his eyes wide open.
"Old comrade, you look like a decent person in your dress, don't you understand? First come, first served?
The painting is in my hand, and before I said I didn’t want it, it’s bad etiquette for you to interrupt or ask for a price!” Zhang Junping frowned, but still explained patiently.
"Do you know how to respect the old and love the young?"
"Respecting the elderly and caring for the young is a virtue, but first of all, what you do must be worthy of respect.
If you want this painting, you must first negotiate with me and tell me, little comrade, I like this painting very much, can you part with it?
This is what an old man should say and do!
Instead of just coming up and shouting that you want this painting without any care." Zhang Junping was not impatient, and his soft words made the old man's face turn red.
"Lao Fang, when will you change your short temper? The young comrade is right, you have bad rules." The elderly clerk surnamed Hu also spoke out and said something fair.
After being scolded by his old friend, the old man also knew that what he had just done was a bit reckless, his expression changed, and he forced out an ugly smile and said to Zhang Junping: "Yes! Little comrade, it was my fault just now! I apologize to you.
But I really like this painting, do you think you can give it to me?"
"Old comrade, it's okay if you buy it back and collect it.
If you like paintings and want to buy them for appreciation, then Bada Shanren’s is not suitable for you!" Zhang Junping said with a smile.
"What do you mean? Why don't Bada Shanren's paintings suit me?" the old man asked unhappily.
“Bada Shanren’s paintings are full of hatred towards the Qing court, and they contain strong cynicism and are full of arrogance and prejudice.