Jianbao life

Chapter 754 Helmet (continued)

Selina put the helmet back into the box and said, "Hey! Really, I guess I can't fit this helmet anymore. Unexpectedly, in ancient times, helmets were divided into different sizes!"

Chu Chen shook his head with a smile and said: "The heads of the ancients will only be bigger than yours, not smaller than you, and don't forget, they still have buns on their heads, how can such a helmet be worn! Besides, Although there were female generals during the Warring States Period, it was impossible for them to wear such standard helmets, and it was certainly even more impossible for male generals to wear such small helmets."

After listening to Chu Chen's explanation, Wu Ke and others, who knew the history, all understood that under the social background and production conditions at that time, since such a thieves were useless, they would definitely not produce.

Mina and Kelly didn't understand it at first, but when they saw Wu Ke and the others in a daze, they hurriedly asked. After learning the details, Kelly's expression became a little anxious. She was quick-witted, and immediately thought of it. One possibility, he quickly asked: "Chu, is it possible that this ashes were used by the children of nobles at that time?"

Chu Chen shook his head and explained: "Let's not say that this is unrealistic. If it is really used by a precious child, then the workmanship and decoration will definitely be much more delicate and complicated than the current helmet, and from this helmet From the point of view of the standard, this is just used by ordinary generals."

Hearing this, Kelly frowned. Chu Chen's words were indeed reasonable, but she still didn't quite believe that the helmet that her father had always regarded as a treasure would be fake. However, she also knew that even if she didn't Believe it, it is impossible to say that something that does not exist in the first place is still a real thing.

So she went on to ask: "Then its material is real, so what's going on?"

Chu Chen said: "If I'm not wrong, it should be refitted from a small copper tripod. This copper tripod must be rotten somewhere. If there is any injury, they will remove the damaged part. , and then used superb craftsmanship to turn it into a helmet. The bad ones became good, just by changing it, its value has at least doubled!"

"In that case, why didn't I see any repair marks on it?" Kelly asked.

Chu Chen replied: "As for why you can't see the repaired traces, it's because of the green rust on the helmet."
Speaking of this, he said to Kelly: "Do you think that the patina on it is very natural, not fake?"

Seeing Kelly nodding, Chu Chen explained: "Nowadays, technology is getting more and more advanced, and the level of fake bronze ware is getting higher and higher. Keke, do you remember that people in the circle used to say that bronze ware can't be stained with green rust?"

Wu Kewen said that this is indeed the case.

Chu Chen went on to say: "Red spots and patina, whether it is a bronze mirror or a bronze ware, there is a lot of patina on it. In the past, the easiest way to identify it was to take a pin and stick it up. It’s fake if it stays, there’s glue in the green rust, if you can’t tie it, it’s real, but now this method doesn’t work.”

"Do you know? Now, to fake and old bronze wares, to make that kind of red-spotted patina, to make that peacock blue-colored patina, no glue is used at all. The most advanced method of counterfeiting is called 'transplanted rust'."

"What is 'transplanting rust'? Can this rust also be transplanted?" Josie asked curiously.

Chu Chen smiled and said: "Can't you figure it out? Actually, it's easy to say, the forgers just cut the fragments of the newly unearthed, rotten bronze wares into the required size with high-tech methods. No matter what the pattern is, stick it on the new copper tire piece by piece, stick it inside and out, and stick it tightly."

"After pasting, paste the rusty old copper coins that have been prepared on the bronze ware one by one, and then pour water on it to let it rust naturally. After a period of time, take the copper coins off, and then you Look, there are mottled patinas all over it, and this patina grows naturally. And it is transplanted. That's why it's called 'transplanted rust'."

"This is a new technology that has only been available in recent years. Many people, including some experts, have been stuck on it. If the helmet is not too small, I will definitely not be able to tell that it is fake for a while."

After listening to Chu Chen's explanation, Kelly asked a little bit unwillingly: "Chu, is the only problem with this helmet is its size?"

Chu Chen shook his head: "I just explained that some of the places above are repaired with unearthed bronze fragments. Although the materials are similar, the textures are not the same. You should be able to see this place with a magnifying glass. Come out..."

Afterwards, Kelly hurriedly took the magnifying glass from Chu Chen, looked carefully, and found that it was indeed the same as what Chu Chen said, although there was a natural growth of copper rust on it, but the texture was different from the surrounding ones, which immediately made her very heartbroken of frustration.

Seeing that her girlfriend is so sad, Mina doesn't know how to persuade her. Let Kelly think about it. The money represented by this helmet is very important to her family, but don't persuade her. Seeing Kelly so sad, she My heart is also very uncomfortable.

Kelly didn't struggle for a long time. Seeing Mina's worried eyes, she smiled at Mina, indicating that she was fine, and then asked, "Chu, does that mean that this helmet is worthless?"

Chu Chen replied: "It is indeed the case. If it can be kept as it is, even if it is a little worn out, it can still be worth some money, but such a change will be valuable to profiteers, but for us buyers, It really doesn’t have much economic value anymore.”

After speaking, he made another apologetic gesture.

"Hey!" Kelly sighed, and then apologized to Chu Chen: "Chu, I doubted your ability just now, I'm really sorry!"

Chu Chen smiled and waved his hands and said, "It's okay. After all, if this helmet is real, it will be worth at least 3 pounds. You should be cautious."

Hearing what Chu Chen said, Kelly opened her mouth, but in the end she swallowed the words that came to her lips, and then asked Chu Chen to help identify the remaining items.

There were still three boxes in the box, so Chu Chen took a small box casually, opened it and saw that there was a snuff bottle in it.

This snuff bottle is an oblate crystal pot made of natural materials.On the front of the bottle is a portrait of Huang Zhong in costume played by Peking Opera master Tan Xinpei, which is vigorous and powerful, with infinite artistic conception and exquisite brushwork.The painting of Huang Zhong is majestic and lifelike, very much like a photo.A poem is inscribed on the back, and "Shaoxuan" is painted in white script and seal seal on the back.The calligraphy is in European style, very neat and rigorous.

Ma Shaoxuan was one of the four major painters of the Beijing School of interior painting in the late Qing Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty.He is well-known throughout the country for his fine brushwork "one side of poetry and one side of painting" inner painting skills, and has made a milestone contribution to the art of inner painting pots in my country.The Western art circle even calls it the "Picasso" in the art of inner painting pots.

Among Ma Shaoxuan's works, Huang Zhongxiang's inner-painted pot is his representative series, which is highly sought after by international collectors.A snuff bottle like this, if it is authentic, should be a very rare treasure for snuff bottle collectors.

Chu Chen carefully looked at the snuff bottle in his hand, confirmed that it was undoubtedly genuine, and then said with a smile: "Kelly, this snuff bottle is indeed the authentic work of Ma Shaoxuan, and it is also a variety that is more sought after by collectors in our country."

After hearing what Chu Chen said, Kelly immediately relaxed from her nervousness, and she quickly asked, "Chu, how much is this snuff bottle worth?"

Chu Chen made some calculations, and then said, "The market value of this snuff bottle should be around [-] pounds."

"Only [-] pounds?" Kelly said in a low voice, the price was far from her previous expectation.

Chu Chen nodded: "It is indeed only [-] pounds. I can guarantee this with my reputation. If you think it is wrong, you can also consult the auction house."

"No no no! Chu, you misunderstood me, but the price you said is not even half of my father's purchase price, so I feel a little surprised."

At the beginning, Kelly really suspected that Chu Chen deliberately lowered the price, but after hearing what Chu Chen said, and the total amount of Chu Chen's clothes was more than [-] pounds, she felt that Chu Chen was completely unnecessary in this regard. lie.

Chu Chen smiled slightly, indicating that it was okay, and then said: "Then I can only say that your father is indeed expensive. If you buy this kind of snuff bottle in our country, it may not cost more than ten thousand pounds. In addition, I would like to ask a question , did your father buy everything in one place?"

"Yes!" Kelly nodded, and immediately understood what Chu Chen meant, and said in surprise, "Chu, you mean that the other party deliberately lied to my father?"

"Based on my experience, it is indeed possible."

In fact, Chu Chen was a little surprised just now, why the seller deliberately told Kelly's father not to remove the copper rust on the helmet.There is no problem with this sentence in itself, but as a seller deliberately reminds you, in the antique market where fakes account for most of the time, you have to be careful.

Once the helmet is cleaned, it will show its original shape immediately. This is also the seller's biggest concern. Of course, he has to remind him in advance, so as not to show his feet when it happens.Judging from the current situation, Kelly's father should know something about antiques, but he is not proficient in it. The seller is not afraid that Kelly's father will notice.

Mina said angrily after hearing the words: "Another profiteer, Kelly, you should tell your father about this, and then you can go to that person to settle the score!"

Kelly said with a wry smile: "Before my father had the idea of ​​selling the antiques to that person again, but when he arrived at the antique shop of the other party, he found out that it was closed. And the phone number of that person can't be reached now, even if we It's impossible to find him..."

(End of this chapter)