Reborn Treasure Appraiser: I Really Didn’t Want to Be an Expert

Chapter 116 Meeting a master

After a careful look, Lin Sicheng was at least 70% sure: this five-beam gold-thread crown was the crown for a prince consort from the Ming Dynasty.

And it must have been bestowed by the emperor, because according to the "Regulations on Vehicles and Clothing", only the emperor and the crown prince could wear the golden crown. And even if it was bestowed by the emperor, the prince consort could not wear it casually: only during weddings and sacrificial ceremonies.

But I'm only 70% sure, there's still 30% left!

Lin Sicheng exhaled slowly: "Lighting!"

Ye Anning woke up as if from a dream and quickly turned on the flashlight.

Lin Sicheng stood on the side, holding a magnifying glass.

The forehead and the top of the cap are covered with gold foil and engraved with Ruyi cloud patterns. After the calendering process, agate or jadeite is repeatedly pressed and polished, giving people the feeling that "there are patterns, but they look like they were painted on."

The back of the hat mountain is covered with a golden wire mesh, woven in the unique "lantern-shaped" style of the Ming Dynasty.

The name is not nice, but the craftsmanship is extremely complicated, just like the one in front of you: there are about three hundred to four hundred gold threads, the diameter does not exceed 0.2 mm, and the error between the upper and lower parts does not exceed 0.01.

The pattern must not only have even spacing and consistent density, but also no knots in the middle. The gold net should be woven to the same degree as the cicada yarn.

Lin Sicheng even suspected that the craftsmen who made this hat were the same ones who made the crown for Wanli.
Looking at the crown beams again, there are five on the left and right, with sixteen braided strands of gold wire, which are then welded into ropes using the Ming Dynasty's "ash piling method".

To put it simply: a model is carved out of charcoal or wood, and then welded together. After the connection is complete, the mold is burned. This way, the gold rope is hollow.

The key point is: the patterns on the outside of the five golden beams are exactly the same, and even the patterns on the hollow inside are exactly the same. It can be said that the ancient art of gold accumulation has been explored to the extreme.

Look at the edge of the crown, which is the outer edge that looks prickly: it is lined with red gold beams inside and piled with gold beads outside.

The bonding method used is the Ming Dynasty water-flowing method: the red gold beam is baked to melt, and then the gold beads are attached to the surface.

The blasting method is the dripping method, also known as the blasting water method: melt the gold and drip it into warm water.

This method has a feature: it can accurately control the temperature, so that the gold beads fried several times are all the same size.

Just like what you see in front of you: two crown edges, two mountain edges, eight in front and back, the total number of explosive beads used is at least seven or eight thousand, but they are generally the same.

At this point, Lin Sicheng was 90% certain: the main body of the golden crown was the crown of the prince consort.

There was only one thing: the gold-plated silver jade ornament in the middle looked like a product of the Song Dynasty no matter how he looked at it.

The gold and silver-plated parts are fine, as they mostly follow the Tang Dynasty method, with at most a little bit of the Song Dynasty's "stamping method": relying on molds and heavy objects to press patterns on the gold ornaments, which is much shallower than engraving.

However, the jade ornaments in the middle were made using the "jade pressing method" unique to the Song Dynasty: hard jade such as agate was used to repeatedly grind, press and polish the surface of the jade ornaments.

Jade polished in this way would have a unique mirror-like effect, just like now: Lin Sicheng's face was close enough to be reflected in it. Because it was so bright, at first glance, the jade looked fake.

Putting all that aside, let's just look at the color: the screen is slightly yellowed, a result of mercury residue from the gold wire being gilded with amalgam, oxidized over the years. An estimate is about four hundred years.

If you light it slightly sideways, you can clearly see that the silver ornament on the forehead has a slight reddish tint. This is because the silver inside has oxidized, and the silver sulfide has seeped outward, neutralizing the gilded layer, resulting in a color gradient.

But it would not have penetrated to this extent without seven or eight hundred years.

So, no matter how he looked at them, he felt that these were two cultural relics: a five-beam gold-thread crown for the imperial consort from the Ming Dynasty, and a silver-flowered jade crown for the Three Dukes or Princes from the Song Dynasty.

But the weird thing is: it was glued on with just ordinary glue, just a random smear and then pushed back on. You can see it without a flashlight or a magnifying glass.

But no matter why it is so sticky, just buy it.

Look at the price again: 350,000, it looks like it was found?
Lin Sicheng put away his high-powered scope and waved. The receptionist, who was almost asleep, came over and said, "Hello, sir!"

“It’s covered!”

"what?"

The receptionist thought that this morning would just pass by.

Take another closer look: Wow, so young, so handsome...

Stars began to form in her eyes. Just as she was about to say something, Ye An Ning glanced at her gently.

The receptionist was stunned for a moment, then smiled awkwardly: "Please wait a moment, I'll go get the key!"

After saying that, she turned around and ran towards the bar with her slender waist twisted.

Wang Qizhi was drowsy. When he heard the sound, he opened his eyes drowsily: "What's the matter?"

Lin Sicheng pointed and said, "It's an imitation of the Ming Dynasty gold wire crown!"

"What?"

You don’t buy the Tang Dynasty ones, but you buy the Ming Dynasty ones?
He muttered, stood up and walked over. Glancing at the price again, Wang Qizhi narrowed his eyes: Three hundred and fifty thousand?
Looking at the hat again, it does resemble Ming Dynasty craftsmanship, but the logic is wrong.

The female official's crown next to it is only 96,000 yuan. It uses a craft that is 700 to 800 years older. It has so many and is so complete. But Lin Sicheng stopped her from buying it?
Not to mention the bronze mirror, which was made using a lost secret technique and cost less than half the price of the hat. Lin Sicheng also stopped him from buying it.

But when it came to himself, he dared to spend 350,000 for just such a tattered hat?
Could it be that you have too much money?

Thinking about his student's past performance, Wang Qizhi felt encouraged.

Look again, look more carefully... That's right, the warm water fried beads and the water welding beads of the Ming Dynasty?

He looked at Lin Sicheng with suspicion.

Lin Sicheng said nothing, but just smiled at him. Just then, the receptionist brought the supervisor over, opened the cabinet door, and took out the golden crown.

Lin Sicheng took it casually, handed it over, and followed the supervisor to pay the bill.

Wang Qizhi held the golden crown and looked at it carefully. At the first glance, he saw the glue behind the silver flower jade ornament.

It’s so obvious, isn’t it telling the customers that this is fake?
Suspicious, Wang Qizhi pulled out his magnifying glass. Seeing the color wasn't quite right, he extended his finger and gently pressed on the gauze. "Swish!" it was like a magic wand, and his eyes lit up.

This thing is actually made of red gold thread?

But that's not the point, it's the color: it feels like natural aging.

Roughly speaking, about four hundred years later, isn’t that exactly the Ming Dynasty?

I used a flashlight to shine it again, and yes, it was the warm water fried beads and the running water welded beads of the Ming Dynasty.

However, there is absolutely no "imitation" in the front...

His heart couldn't help but shrink, he raised his head and stared at Ye An Ning.

The uncle and nephew are connected by heart and have been fighting wits and courage for so many years, but Wang Qizhi only needed a look, and Ye Anning suddenly realized.

His lips moved slightly and his Adam's apple rolled slightly: Lin Sicheng...got lucky again?
Wang Qizhi puffed up his cheeks, pursed his lips, and exhaled slowly: It's more than just picking up a bargain?
Ming Dynasty regulations: Dukes and marquises wore crowns with eight beams and a cage scarf with Diao Chan on it... The prince consort wore a crown with five beams, with a pheasant tail inserted on the left, and no cage scarf.

Regardless of whether he was a duke or an earl, the material of the crown was at most silver-beamed black gauze.

Only the emperor granted it, and only the prince consort who was a member of the royal family, dared to use the golden beams and golden gauze.

Wang Qizhi’s eyes widened: So, the imperial crown of five beams and golden silk was bestowed upon the consort?
Don’t think that most of the external accessories of this toy are missing, but if it is given to a city-level museum, such as the Xijing Museum, it will definitely be the treasure of the museum.

But I turned around completely, how come I didn’t notice it?
Found nothing.

The shop is over 100 square meters, and hundreds of items are all gold. The lights are so bright that I am already dizzy.

And with the room full of imitations, who would have thought that there was a real one hidden among them?
The key is the glue on the back of the silver flower jade ornament, which is so obvious that you can see it at first glance. Then, anyone would mutter: Not only is it a fake, but it is also so crude?

Take another look at the price, three hundred and fifty thousand... Who the hell would spend more than three hundred thousand to buy such a thing without their head being squeezed by the door?

And then, where does the then come from?
Including Wang Qizhi, who clearly knew that Lin Sicheng would not spend hundreds of thousands of yuan on a replica, and clearly knew that something was not right. But it was not until he got his hands on it and poked it that he realized something.

Therefore, Lin Sicheng's ability to see this thing was not due to luck at all, it was purely due to his eyesight.

Have to admire.

Sighing secretly, Wang Qizhi put away the magnifying glass and turned off the flashlight.

But as the lights dimmed, he was suddenly stunned: Why is this silver bead flower a little red?

After a moment of suspicion, he turned on the flashlight, took a look, and turned it off.

Turn on, turn off... turn on, turn off...

Wang Qizhi pressed the button non-stop, like a child who hadn't grown up. The pearl flower suddenly turned yellow, then red...

After going back and forth three times, he suddenly straightened up: The five-beam Jinxian crown with a silver background and gold coating in the early Song Dynasty, the crowns of princes, envoys, prime ministers, and three-master officials with pearl flowers?
Lin Sicheng, I am impressed by you: this flower is no less valuable than the hat underneath.

But why would something like this be placed among a pile of imitations, and two of them at that?

Glancing at the stick of glue under the beaded flowers, a light flashed through Wang Qizhi's mind: the copper furnace in the Municipal Bureau's Identification Center.

Wash goods?

I'll let you wash a hammer...

In a flash, Lin Sicheng paid the bill.

The clerk followed behind him, carrying an aluminum box. He walked over and put the golden crown inside.

The supervisor stood aside and handed over the invoice again.

Lin Sicheng took it, thought for a moment, and pointed to the bronze pagoda: "Manager, can I ask which master cast this bronze temple? Can you tell me who cast it?"

Suddenly, the supervisor's expression became strange, with a hint of vigilance in his eyes, and he looked Lin Sicheng up and down.

The teacher and student understood immediately: Lin Sicheng was definitely not the first person to ask this question.

The reason is simple: just find a toilet in the countryside and throw the bronze pagoda in. If you want Han Dynasty ones, let them ferment for a year, if you want pre-Qin ones, let them ferment for two years, if you want Shang and Zhou dynasties, let them ferment for a little longer, or three years at most.

Therefore, the supervisor regarded them as those who were specifically trying to cheat people.

After looking at it back and forth several times, including Wang Qizhi and Ye Anning, the supervisor said with a forced smile: "Sorry, sir, this is the product that the boss imported from another place. As for where it was imported from or who imitated it, I don't know."

"Really?" Lin Sicheng smiled. "What about this one, and this one, are they also imported goods?"

Following Lin Sicheng's finger, the supervisor looked at the Tang Dynasty gold and silver flat bronze mirror, and then looked at the imitation Tang Dynasty female official's crown.

His pupils shrank slightly and his face froze: I met a master!
The supervisor forced a smile and said, "Yes, it was also purchased by the boss!"

"All right!"

Lin Sicheng nodded. "Okay, I'll leave you a phone number."

Wang Qizhi knew what Lin Sicheng was going to do and stopped him: "Leave it to me!"

The supervisor sneered secretly: It doesn’t matter who we keep?
He had seen too many of these idiots, at least two or three every month...

After packing the boxes and delivering them to the door, the supervisor took a look and raised his hand.

The note with the phone number written on it flew far away with the wind.

Three sticks!

(End of this chapter)