Chapter 114: Encountering an Expert

After examining it carefully, Lin Sicheng was at least seventy percent certain: this five-beam gold-thread crown was a Ming Dynasty Fuma Coronet.

And it must have been an Imperial Gift, because according to the "Regulations on Ceremonial Attire," only the Emperor and the Crown Prince were permitted to wear gold crowns. Even as an Imperial Gift, a Fuma could not wear it casually: only for grand weddings or sacrificial rites.

But it was only seventy percent certainty; thirty percent was still missing!

Lin Sicheng slowly exhaled: "Light it up!"

Ye Anning, as if waking from a dream, hurriedly turned on the flashlight.

Lin Sicheng held up the Magnifying Glass, standing to the side.

The front of the crown and the cap peaks were both covered in Gold Foil, engraved with ruyi cloud patterns. They had undergone a burnishing process: using Agate or nephrite to repeatedly rub and press them, which is why it gave people the feeling that "the patterns are clearly there, yet they look like they were painted on."

The back of the cap peaks was covered with a gold-thread net, woven in the "lantern-weaving" style unique to the Ming Dynasty.

The name doesn't sound very pleasant, but the craftsmanship is extremely complex, just like the one before him: approximately three to four hundred gold threads, with a diameter not exceeding 0.2 millimeters, and a deviation between the top and bottom not exceeding 0.1.

The patterns not only had to have uniform spacing and consistent density, but there could absolutely be no small knots in the middle. It was woven to the extent that the gold net looked exactly like cicada gauze.

Lin Sicheng even wondered if the Craftsman who wove this hat was from the same group that wove the Crown for the Wanli Emperor?

Looking at the crown beams, five on each side, they were woven from gold threads into sixteen braided strands, then welded into ropes using the Ming Dynasty "ash-piling method."

To put it simply: a model is carved from charcoal or wood, then the threads are accumulated and welded on top, and the mold is burned away after the welding is finished. The gold ropes woven this way are hollow.

The key point is: the patterns on the outside of the five gold beams are identical, and even the patterns inside the hollow parts are identical; it can be said that the ancient art of gold accumulation was pushed to the extreme.

Looking at the crown edge, which is the fuzzy-looking outer rim: it is lined with red gold beams, with gold beads accumulated on the outside.

The bonding used the Ming Dynasty "water-running method": the red gold beams were heated until melted, and then the gold beads were attached to the surface.

The Granulation used the "water-dripping method," also known as the "water-blasting method": the gold was melted and dripped into warm water.

This method has one characteristic: it can precisely control the temperature, allowing the gold beads produced in several batches to be all the same size.

Just like the one before him: two crown edges, two peak edges, eight in total front and back; the number of granulated beads used adds up to at least seven or eight thousand, yet they are all identical.

At this point, Lin Sicheng was already ninety percent certain: the main body of the gold crown was indeed a Fuma Coronet.

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

The gold-plated and silver parts were fine, as they mostly followed Tang Dynasty methods, at most using a bit of the Song Dynasty "stamping method": relying on a mold to press patterns onto the gold ornament with a heavy object, which is much shallower than engraving.

But the few pieces of jade in the middle used the "jade-pressing method" unique to the Song Dynasty: using hard jade like Agate to repeatedly rub, press, and polish the surface of the jade ornament.

Jade polished this way presents a unique mirror effect, just like now: Lin Sicheng leaned his face in and could actually see a rough reflection. Because it was so bright, at first glance, this jade looked like a fake.

And setting all that aside, just looking at the condition: the covering net was faintly yellow; this was due to residual mercury after the gold threads were plated using the Jin Red Flag method, which formed over many years of oxidation. He estimated it to be about four hundred years old.

By angling the light slightly, one could clearly see the silver ornaments on the forehead were slightly reddish. This was because after the internal silver oxidized, silver sulfide seeped outward and neutralized with the Gold-gilding layer, causing a color gradient.

But without seven or eight hundred years, it wouldn't seep to this extent.

Therefore, no matter how he looked at it, he felt these were two Cultural Relics: a Ming Dynasty gold-thread five-beam Fuma Coronet, and a Song Dynasty silver flower and jade ornament from a Duke or Prince's sable-cicada crown.

But the strange thing was: they were actually stuck on with glue, just ordinary glue sticks, applied casually and then shoved on. One could tell without using a flashlight or a Magnifying Glass.

But regardless of why it was stuck like that, he would buy it first and ask questions later.

Looking at the price again: three hundred and fifty thousand, like picking it up for free?

Lin Sicheng put away the high-magnification lens and waved his hand. The greeter, who was about to fall asleep, walked over: "Hello, sir!"

"I'll take it!"

"Huh?"

The greeter had thought she would just muddle through the morning.

She looked closely again: Wow, so young, so handsome...

Stars began to appear in her eyes, and just as she was about to say something, Ye Anning glanced at her lightly.

The greeter was stunned for a moment, then gave a sheepish smile: "Please wait a moment, both of you, I'll go get the key!"

Saying this, she turned and ran toward the counter, twisting her slender waist.

Wang Qi Zhi was feeling drowsy, and upon hearing the sound, he opened his eyes groggily: "What did you take?"

Lin Sicheng pointed: "Imitation Ming Dynasty gold-thread crown!"

"What?"

You don't buy the Tang Dynasty one, but you buy the Ming Dynasty one?

He muttered, got up, and walked over. He glanced at the price again, and Wang Qi Zhi narrowed his eyes: three hundred and fifty thousand?

Looking at the hat again, it did indeed look like Ming Dynasty craftsmanship, but the logic didn't hold up.

The female official's crown next to it was only ninety-six thousand, used craftsmanship seven or eight hundred years earlier, and was so complete and intact, yet Lin Sicheng had firmly stopped him from buying it?

Not to mention that Bronze Mirror, which used a lost, unique skill, and the price was less than half of this hat, yet Lin Sicheng had also stopped him from buying it.

But when it came to himself, he dared to shell out three hundred and fifty thousand for just this broken hat?

Could it be that he had so much money it was burning his hands?

Thinking back on his student's past track record, Wang Qi Zhi felt a surge of excitement.

He looked again, looked more carefully... that's right, Ming Dynasty warm-water Granulation, Ming Dynasty water-running Welding?

He looked at Lin Sicheng with a suspicious expression.

Lin Sicheng didn't speak, just smiled at him. Just then, the greeter led the Supervisor over, opened the cabinet door, and took out the gold crown.

Lin Sicheng took it casually, then passed it on, following the Supervisor to settle the bill.

Wang Qi Zhi held the gold-thread crown and examined it carefully. At the very first glance, he saw the glue behind the silver flower and jade ornament.

It was so obvious; wasn't this clearly telling the customer that it was fake?

Secretly suspicious, Wang Qi Zhi took out his Magnifying Glass again. Seeing the color was a bit off, he extended a finger and pressed lightly on the gauze net.

"Zeng," it was as if he had pressed an Openwork switch, and his eyes went straight to glowing.

This thing actually used red gold thread?

But that wasn't the point; the point was the condition: it felt like natural aging.

Roughly calculating, about four hundred years, isn't that exactly the Ming Dynasty?

Shining the flashlight on it again, no mistake, Ming Dynasty warm-water granulation, Ming Dynasty water-flow welding.

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

His heart couldn't help but shrink; he raised his head and stared straight at Ye Anning.

Nephew and uncle share a heart, and having pitted their wits against each other for so many years, Wang Qi Zhi only needed one look for Ye Anning to suddenly realize.

His lips moved softly, and his Adam's apple rolled slightly: Lin Sicheng... picked up a bargain again?

Wang Qi Zhi puffed out his cheeks, pressed his lips into a line, and slowly exhaled: More than just picking up a bargain?

Ming regulations: Dukes and Marquises wear eight-beam crowns, with cage caps and sable cicadas... Consorts wear five-beam, with pheasant tails inserted on the left, no cage cap.

And regardless of whether it is a Duke, Marquis, Count, or Baron, the material of the crown is at most silver-beamed black gauze.

Only an Imperial Gift, only a Consort who is a relative of the Imperial family, would dare to use gold beams and gold gauze.

Wang Qi Zhi's eyes opened wider and wider: So, an Imperial Gift Five-Beam Gold Threaded Consort Crown?

Don't think that because this thing has lost seven or eight out of ten ornaments on the outside, it wouldn't be a treasure of the house for a City Level Museum, such as the Xijing City Museum.

But I also walked around the whole place myself, why didn't I discover it?

Discovered my ass.

The shop is over a hundred square meters, and hundreds of items are all golden. The lights were too bright, and my eyes were already dazzled.

And with the whole room full of imitations, who would have thought that a real one was hidden among them?

And the key lies in the glue behind the silver flower and jade ornament; it was too obvious, you could see it at first glance. And then, anyone would mutter: not only is it an imitation, but it's also made so crudely?

Take another look at the price, 350,000... whose brain wasn't squeezed by a door, spending over 300,000 to buy such a thing?

Then, where else could there be a "then"?

Including Wang Qi Zhi, he clearly knew Lin Sicheng couldn't spend hundreds of thousands on an imitation, and clearly knew this thing wasn't quite right. But it wasn't until he got his hands on it and poked it that he made a discovery.

Therefore, Lin Sicheng being able to see this thing really didn't have much to do with luck; it was purely relying on his eye for antiques.

Have to admire him.

Secretly sighing, Wang Qi Zhi put away the Magnifying Glass and turned off the Flashlight.

But as the light dimmed, he suddenly froze: Why is this silver bead flower a bit reddish?

Suspicious for a moment, he turned on the Flashlight, took two looks, and then turned it off again.

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

Wang Qi Zhi was like a child who hadn't grown up, pressing it non-stop. That bead flower suddenly turned yellow, then suddenly turned red...

After going back and forth three times, he suddenly straightened his waist: Early Song Dynasty silver-based gilded five-beam Jinxian Coronet, Prince, Chancellor, Three Preceptors Official Crown Bead Flower?

Lin Sicheng, Teacher admires you: This flower is definitely worth no less than the hat underneath.

But why would such things be placed among a pile of imitations, and there are two of them?

Glancing at the hot glue under the bead flower, a flash of light crossed Wang Qi Zhi's mind: That bronze furnace at the Municipal Appraisal Center.

Wash Goods?

I'll let you wash a hammer...

In a flash, Lin Sicheng finished paying the bill.

A shop assistant followed behind, carrying an aluminum alloy box. After walking over, he put the gold crown inside.

The Supervisor stood to one side and handed over the receipt.

Lin Sicheng took it, thought for a moment, and pointed to the bronze pagoda: "Manager, may I ask: which master cast this bronze hall, can I get to know them?"

Suddenly, the Supervisor's expression turned strange, a trace of vigilance appeared in his eyes, and he looked Lin Sicheng up and down.

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

The reason is simple: just find a rural latrine and throw that bronze pagoda into it. If you want a Han Dynasty one, let it soak for a year; if you want a pre-Qin one, soak it for two years; Shang and Zhou would be longer, three years at most.

Therefore, the Supervisor took them for people who specialize in flipping Raw Pit Goods.

After looking back and forth several times, including at Wang Qi Zhi and Ye Anning, the Supervisor smiled without warmth: "Sir, I'm sorry, this is goods the boss brought in from out of town. As for where it was brought from, or who imitated it, I don't know either."

"Is that so?" Lin Sicheng smiled, "Then what about this, and this, are these also brought in?"

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

His pupils shrank slightly, and his face stiffened: Met an expert!

The Supervisor forced a smile: "Yes, these are also goods the boss brought in!"

"Alright!"

Lin Sicheng nodded, "How about this, I'll leave you my phone number!"

Wang Qi Zhi knew what Lin Sicheng wanted to do as soon as he saw it, and reached out to stop him: "Leave mine!"

The Supervisor sneered inwardly: Isn't it the same whose number is left?

He had seen too many such fools; at least two or three batches came every month...

After packing the box and sending them to the door, the Supervisor glanced at them, then flicked his hand.

The slip of paper with the phone number drifted far away with the Wind.

Three fools!