Chapter 24: What Kind of Nonsense Is This?

A room full of fake antiques, even the boss is a fake, yet a genuine pot has emerged?

Lin Sicheng found it quite curious and examined it with extra care.

After only a few glances, he understood why Hao Jun, knowing full well this couldn't possibly be a Mingyuan Pot, had still brought him to see it.

First is the degree of imitation.

The proportions are almost one-to-one with the Chuanxiang Pot that sold for 3.45 million at the 2015 Poly Auction. Lin Sicheng could guarantee that this piece was absolutely molded from clay while staring directly at that one, bit by bit.

The strange thing is, it doesn't lose its own character?

The molding contains delicate openwork, the rigid reveals the soft, and the texture is natural; it possesses both the heavy, dignified feel of the Mingyuan Pot—"looking down like a concentric heart, looking up like a ritual tripod"—and the eye-catching quality of the Shi Pot (Shi Dabin, a famous Yixing clay master of the late Ming and early Qing dynasties)—"silver sand flashing points, pearl grains appearing and disappearing."

Yet the technique leans toward the retro feel of the "Yang-style Mansheng Pot," which prizes natural, simple, and elegant aspirations.

At first glance, it looks like a hodgepodge, yet it is blended into a perfect, seamless whole, indistinguishable from one another.

Based on this point alone, this pot definitely came from the hands of a master.

Even more critical is the inscription: the calligraphy is clear, vigorous, and elegant, uniquely bold and seasoned; it must be from a calligraphy master.

Looking at the engraving: the depth is uniform, the strokes are free and easy, leaving no trace of hesitation; the person who wielded the knife must also be an engraving master.

Looking at the Seal Mark: the sharp edges are exposed, archaic and unrestrained, vast and profound... one cannot carve a seal of this level without being a master of metal and stone.

So, setting the pot aside for a moment, just speaking of the calligraphy, the engraving, and the seal... if Lin Sicheng were to speak his honest truth: the attainments and skill are far, far higher than those of Chen Mingyuan.

That is not strange, either; as the saying goes, there is a specialty in every trade. If you asked Chen Mingyuan to paint, he would only paint worse.

What Lin Sicheng found strange was, with so many masters: a Yixing clay master, a calligraphy master, an engraving master, a seal-carving master... just how impressive must this person be?

A land of spiritual beauty produces talent in every generation, and there are plenty of impressive people. But this piece is certainly not the work of one: this is clearly a collaborative pot with the clay body molded by a Yixing clay master, and the engraving and carving handled by a calligraphy master and a seal-carving master.

Two masters... who could they be?

Lin Sicheng put down the Flashlight and held the pot again, first looking at the inner body, then the base, and after looking, he touched it.

It is indeed an old pot, but he really wasn't sure who exactly molded it.

Forget it, let's look at the calligraphy and the seal.

But it was to no avail; having too much knowledge stored up isn't always a good thing: in an instant, several dozen calligraphers and seal-carvers from the mid-to-late Qing dynasty flooded his mind.

He sighed, shook his head to clear his thoughts, closed his eyes, and traced in the air in front of the pot with his finger.

The engraving of the characters is vigorous at the start of the stroke and decisive at the end, the knife cutting into the clay with a firm and powerful force. The structure is balanced between leaning and upright, with a refined sense of density.

Although it is semi-cursive script, it is lively and vivid, with a natural resonance between the strokes, carrying a clear "Dong Style" flair.

The seal is cut in the same vein as the calligraphy, clearly from the same hand: the strokes are square and angular, natural and casual, yet revealing absolute sharpness.

Huh, Chen Hongshou, Master Mansheng?

Looking at the pot again... haha, what did I just say: this pot gathers the strengths of various masters, yet leans toward the retro feel of the Yang-style Mansheng Pot.

So, this is a Mansheng Pot collaboratively made by Chen Mansheng and Yang Pengnian... oh no, a Chuanxiang Pot jointly imitated by the two.

Who is Chen Hongshou?

One of the Xiling Eight Masters, a poet, calligrapher, painter, and seal-carver.

His calligraphy, paintings, and seals are collected by many a Museum, including the Forbidden City, the Taiwan Palace Museum, the Shanghai Museum, the Zhejiang Museum, the Suzhou Museum, Nanjing...

He is also one of the five great Yixing clay masters of the Qing dynasty, ranking below Chen Mingyuan.

But this pot was not molded by him; it was molded by Yang Pengnian.

Yang Pengnian was also a Yixing clay master, ranking third among the "Five Masters," but his fame was not prominent when he was young.

It wasn't until Chen Hongshou went to Liyang (in southern Jiangsu, bordering Yixing) to serve as a county magistrate that he, busy with official duties and having no time to make pots, had the Yang siblings brought from Yixing through an introduction to mold pots specifically for him.

What they molded were the "Mansheng Eighteen Styles," personally designed by Chen Hongshou and passed down through the ages. After Chen Hongshou passed away, Yang Pengnian styled himself a "disciple of Mansheng," created his own Pengnian Pot, and his fame gradually rose, becoming the third of the "Five Masters."

So, two million is actually worth it.

Let's look at the transaction records over the years:

The highest was at the 2017 Xiling Seal Society auction, a purple clay Rudding Pot molded by Yang Pengnian and engraved by Chen Mansheng, which sold for 15 million.

The lowest price was at the 2012 China Guardian auction, a Shidiao Pot molded by Yang Pengnian, with calligraphy by Chen Mansheng and an inscription by Jiang Tingxiang, which sold for 3.86 million.

It is currently 2007, so the price should be a bit lower, but even lower, it couldn't possibly be less than two million.

Lin Sicheng suspected that Lao Song only suspected this pot came from the hands of a master, but hadn't even thought of anyone like Chen Mansheng or Yang Pengnian. Otherwise, the asking price would definitely be over ten million, and he wouldn't even have placed the pot here.

Tsk, Senior Brother Hao has good luck.

Fearing he might have misjudged, Lin Sicheng picked up the pot again and scrutinized it carefully.

He remained motionless, eyes fixed, while Hao Jun and Lao Song found it increasingly strange.

At first, Lao Song was still thinking: Hao Jun is, after all, a person of status and face, yet he's only getting worse with age. If you can't judge it yourself, that's fine, but why didn't you bring an expert?

Looking at this kid again: he barely has any hair on his lip, he can't be twenty yet, and you let him look?

Don't say, he looks the part; he's pretending quite well, isn't he?

Afterward, as he watched, Lin Sicheng suddenly closed his eyes, stretched his fingers into the air, and traced back and forth, just like drawing a Talisman.

Lao Song's eyeballs nearly popped out: I'll be damned, this is an eye-opener; looking at antiques, and he's even performing a ritual?

After watching for a good while, Lin Sicheng opened his eyes again.

Whether it was the lighting or the angle, it felt like the young man's eyes were shining. Lao Song said, half-joking and half-teasing: "Young man, do you need to chant a spell?"

Chant a damn spell?

Hao Jun glared at him and looked at Lin Sicheng: "How is it?"

"It's alright!" Lin Sicheng nodded, "The imitation is quite authentic."

Hao Jun naturally knew this was an imitation; a real Mingyuan Pot wouldn't end up here.

Lao Song also knew this was an imitation, otherwise he wouldn't have asked for only two million.

They also knew that this pot was definitely an old one, and judging by the craftsmanship, it shouldn't be from an ordinary person; it might even be from a master.

But that was only a guess, and as for which master, they didn't even have a clue.

That is why Hao Jun only offered 150,000, while Lao Song still clung to a glimmer of hope, refusing to budge from 300,000.

Hao Jun nodded: "Anything else?"

"It is definitely an old pot, if not from the mid-Qing, then the late Qing, but it is not a Yixing pot; at the very least, it is certainly not made of Yixing Purple Clay."

"What?"

Hao Jun and Lao Song were both stunned, then they both lowered their heads: the glaze was purplish-black, the luster was glowing and moist, the sandy texture was obvious, the color was antique and elegant...

Whether it was the color and luster, or the texture and composition, it all carried the distinct characteristics of the Yixing Kiln, yet you say this is not a Yixing pot?

Lao Song squinted his eyes: "Young man, you can eat whatever you want, but you cannot just say whatever you want!"

"I know!" Lin Sicheng smiled, "How about this, Master Song, could you use this pot to brew a pot of tea?"

"Of course!"

Nurturing a pot is nurturing a pot; if you don't brew tea, what are you nurturing a Purple Clay Teapot for?

So every day when he opened his eyes, Lao Song would use this pot to brew a pot of Black Tea to whet his appetite.

His movements were very nimble; he used an electric kettle to boil water and took out a tea box.

A few minutes later, the water boiled; straining the tea, rinsing the tea, and steeping it—Lao Song did it all in one go.

After waiting for two minutes, Lin Sicheng pointed to the body of the pot: "Master Song, take a look at the clay color first!"

The two of them leaned in together and looked for a long time: the pot body was brownish-red, and the clay color was glowing and moist.

It seems quite right, doesn't it?

Hao Jun looked up suspiciously.

Lin Sicheng picked up the Flashlight and clicked it on, shining it toward the body of the pot; "Swish," a streak of blue light reflected onto Hao Jun's face.

Why is it so blue?

He subconsciously squinted his eyes, then suddenly froze: a blue Purple Clay Teapot... what kind of nonsense is this?

Both chapters are being released together today.