Jianbao life

Chapter 75 Explanation
For the sake of safety, Chu Chen wanted to find a suitable portable safe, so instead of going back to the hotel, everyone came to Cuiyuzhai, which is not far from Baxian Temple.

In the reception room, Wen Yuting put the Bodhisattva statue in front of her, and asked eagerly, "Brother Chu, show me what's so special about this Bodhisattva statue?"

Chu Chen joked: "There is nothing special about the Bodhisattva statue, it's just the original style of this dynasty."

"This money? Where is that money?" Wen Yuting asked impatiently.

"I said Xiaowen, don't be so anxious, this thing won't run away by itself."

After Chu Chen finished speaking with a smile, he pointed to a spot on the rosette and said, "Here, the money is here."

"Xuande Nian Shi of the Ming Dynasty, Brother Chu, you mean it was made in the Xuande Year of the Ming Dynasty? It should be very expensive, right? Did you miss it again?" Wen Yuting read the inscription word by word, with an excited face asked one after another.

"What?! This is a Bodhisattva statue made in the Xuande period of the Ming Dynasty?!"

The three men present couldn't help exclaiming after hearing the words.

Wen Yuting asked in surprise: "Why, are the Buddha statues made in Xuande year very precious?"

"How could it not be precious!"

Li Guodong said excitedly: "Although I don't play antiques very much, I have also seen information about this when I checked the information of Xuande Furnace before. The bronze Buddha statues we made in ancient times are the bronze statues of Yongle and Xuande. Buddha statues are the most famous, and there are only about three or four hundred statues in the world, you say it is precious or not."

Zhou Wenping admired this Bodhisattva statue, nodded in agreement and said: "Yes, since the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, a statue institution "Buddha Work" was specially set up in the palace under the "Imperial Supervisor" to make Tibetan Buddha statues. These The statues were mainly concentrated in the Yongle and Xuande dynasties, so they are also called "Yongxuan Palace Statues" or "Yongxuan Statues."

"However, it is found that nine out of ten of the existing palace statues of the Ming Dynasty belong to the Yongle period, and less than one tenth of the Xuande statues; at the same time, it is also found that most of the statues in the Yongle period are exquisitely crafted, reflecting a very high artistic level, while the statues in the Xuande period are generally The workmanship is rough, and the artistic level is average."

"But Xiaowen, look at this Bodhisattva, which is so exquisitely crafted and has a very high artistic level. It can be said that its craftsmanship and artistic level have broken through the routine of making Buddha statues in the Xuande period, and it is comparable to the statues of Yongle. Performance, this point, can be described as invaluable.”

"Brother Zhou, how much is this Bodhisattva statue worth?" Wen Yuting asked curiously.

Zhou Wenping thought for a while, and then said: "This statue is in such good condition, and the gilding on the surface has not fallen off after so many years, so I think the value of this statue should be at least 300 million. If you go to an auction and meet someone you like, you can reach more than 500 million."

"Wow, it's so expensive, brother Chu, you're getting rich again!" Wen Yuting said enviously.

Chu Chen waved his hand and said with a smile: "I never thought of changing hands on this statue of Manjusri Bodhisattva. If such a beautiful and precious statue changes hands, if I want to ask for another one, I may not be able to find it at all." .”

Zhou Wenping and the others nodded in agreement after hearing this. There are only three or four hundred statues of Yongxuan Buddha in the world, and such exquisite statues of Buddha during the Xuande period are even more rare.People who really like to collect Buddha statues, if they get such a statue, which one will not be covered tightly, and they will definitely not take it out and change hands if there is no accident.

"Brother Chu, can you tell us about the characteristics of Buddha statues in the Yongxuan period?" Chu Yulan asked with a hint of longing.

Chu Chen smiled and said: "Xiaolan, you are really eager to learn. What Brother Zhou said was very good just now. Let's listen to Brother Zhou. It's not good to listen to me all the time. If you talk about it with someone else, your vision will be different." It can be more open, and Brother Zhou is still focusing on the bronze direction."

After all, Xijing was the capital of the Zhou, Qin, Han, and Tang dynasties. A large number of bronze wares have been unearthed over the years. Zhou Wenping has been exposed to this knowledge since he was a child, so he also focuses on bronze wares in terms of antiques. He was not born at all, so it made sense for Chu Chen to ask him to explain it to everyone.

Zhou Wenping is still confident in this aspect, so he didn't shirk, and said with a smile:

"Okay, since Xiaochen entrusted me with this task, I will explain it briefly to everyone, but my level is limited, if I make a mistake, please bear with me!"

"After you have seen this statue, you should know that it is different from our traditional Buddha statues. It has obvious characteristics of Tibetan Buddhism. This is also because it was an important period when the Ming Dynasty managed Tubo. In order to win over the upper class in Tubo, a large number of precious gifts were rewarded, and the palace statues are a very important part."

"That's why a new model of Buddha statues was born at that time, which perfectly integrated the arts of the two places, and only then did the world-famous Yongxuan Buddha statues come into being."

"Xiao Chen's statue can be said to express this artistic feature vividly. You see, the statue of Yongxuan Buddha is characterized by a plump face, broad shoulders and a thin waist. And this statue of Manjushri Bodhisattva is such an expression , the face is square, the expression is solemn, the shoulders are broad, the waist is cinched, and the body is vividly portrayed by the craftsman."

"Looking at the ornamentation, the statue of Yongxuan is characterized by the strong texture of the clothes, and the expression is particularly vivid and natural, and this statue is exactly the same. You see, it is decorated with a collar and a long chain on the upper body, and the chest and waist. The U-shaped necklace with pearls was very common at that time. Large silk was worn on the shoulders, and there were decorations on the hands and feet. In particular, the skirt and the silk were rendered in a realistic way, with smooth and graceful clothing patterns, vividly expressing the natural texture of silk fabrics. "

"Yongxuan Buddha statues generally use a double-layer waisted lotus seat. The lotus seat has a standardized shape and obvious features. The lotus petals are full and have a strong three-dimensional effect. The tip is rolled into three round beads, and the upper and lower edges are each decorated for a week. Round beads of the same size."

Zhou Wenping took a sip of water and continued: "Now that I'm talking about it, I would like to say that there is a little difference between the statues in the Yongle period and the Xuande period. Generally, the statues in the Xuande period are fatter than those in the Yongle period, and the lotus petals are also thicker. Plump and plump, the curly grass patterns on the head of the lotus petals are more complicated and more decorative."

"Let's talk about the inscription again. Generally, the statues of Yongxuan are engraved with soft six-character fonts. They are engraved directly in front of the lotus seat. The shape is just like this statue. In the Yongle period, the engraving is "Daming Yongle Nianshi" "."

Next, Zhou Wenping turned the statue over, pointed to the lower cover and said:
"This is called Zangzang. This statue is good at this point. It is completely installed. You can see that there is a beautiful cross-shaped vajra engraved in the center of the bottom cover. On the edge of the back cover, sealing wax, cinnabar and the chopping opening for fixing the bottom cover can be seen. These These are the basic characteristics of Yongxuan statues."

"Finally, let me talk about the production process. Yongxuan statues are generally cast in brass. The casting method is the traditional lost wax method in the Central Plains. The statues are all cast as a whole, without separate casting and welding. Some imitations appearing on the market at present Copper, with traces of soldering."

"Okay, let me stop here briefly, Xiaochen, do you have anything to add?" After speaking, Zhou Wenping breathed a sigh of relief.

"Brother Zhou, your speech is very good. I don't have anything to add. Let us give the warmest applause for Brother Zhou's wonderful lecture."

As soon as the words fell, Chu Chen applauded, and the others also applauded enthusiastically, appreciating Zhou Wenping's wonderful words.

"Congratulations, congratulations, it's all because of Xiao Chen's textbook-like standard statue, otherwise I'm just talking on paper." Zhou Wenping was humbled again and again, with a happy and somewhat embarrassed expression on his face.

Wen Yuting smiled and said, "Brother Zhou, don't be modest. If you speak well, it's good. I can go shopping for treasures according to the characteristics you said, and I find it's easy to pick up the leaks."

Zhou Wenping quickly said: "This is not possible. Do you think that every Buddha statue in the Yongxuan period will resemble this statue? Let me tell you, there are many statues, either because the gilding on them has fallen off, or because the gilding on them has fallen off." If there is a disability, it can be said that there are very few people who are really similar in appearance to this one."

"As usual, when we see a statue of this kind of appearance, we will definitely think it is a fake, let alone one from a small stall. Even if we see it, we will choose to turn a blind eye."

After Wen Yuting heard the words, she asked in surprise, "Then, wouldn't there be so many good things to miss?"

Zhou Wenping said with a smile: "Only Xiao Chen is a freak who is amazingly lucky and can always pick up leaks. As usual, how can there be so many leaks for you to pick up? Xiaowen, you have to remember, what you buy is not sold Fine, there are some peddlers who have eye leaks, but the number is very small, if you count on this to catch leaks, then be prepared to use eye drops frequently."

Li Guodong saw Wen Yuting's longing look on her face, and persuaded him, "Yuting, think about it, if you weren't with Xiaochen, who have you heard of who can often pick up leaks? Besides, we have picked up leaks a few times But you just listened to Xiaochen's opinion, so don't jump into it just because your head is hot."

After Li Guodong finished speaking, Chu Chen and Chu Yulan also advised her to be cautious. Seeing this, Wen Yuting thought for a while, and could only give up this unrealistic plan, and said a little dejectedly:

"Oh, I really want to pick up the leak. After I go back this time, I don't know when I will have such an opportunity."

Seeing her appearance, Chu Chen smiled and said, "Xiaowen, it's not like we can't meet each other anymore. If you have time, you can go to Panjiayuan to find me with Brother Li or Xiaolan, and I can also take you for a walk at that time." It’s not impossible to miss out on some antique markets in the capital.”

(End of this chapter)