Inherit For Three Thousand Years

"Listening to what Mr. Xiao said, it seems that it was a wise thing for me to photograph this Baibao Rui beast at the time. I saw this magnificent beast at the time, so I took it. It was a small-scale one. At a private auction, I remember that I spent 48 million U.S. dollars to shoot it." Iwasaki Shinichi specifically pointed out the price of this Baibao Ruiju.

"The price is not high, and if it is sold now, it will not be less than 50,000 US dollars.

This auspicious beast fits the description of the unicorn in our ancient Chinese legends, and its shape combines the characteristics of a dragon head, bear claws, fish scales, and oxtail. According to "Shuowen Jiezi": Qi, benevolent beast, moose body and oxtail horn; 麐, Mi Qi also. According to legend, this kind of beast will only appear in the peace and prosperity, or when there are saints in the world.

In the Ming and Qing dynasties, a unicorn-shaped incense was placed in the palace to show that the emperor of the dynasty had the right way.

This auspicious beast is exquisite in craftsmanship, heavy in copper, used gemstones, gorgeous in shape, and amazing, coupled with the chiseled and tall, natural patina, it can be called an unquestionable boutique.

If you meet someone you really like, let alone $50 million, even if you add $10 million, it is possible. "

Xiao Yao did not deliberately belittled because of the subsequent evaluation of the two parties. For people like him and Shinichi Iwasaki, this is completely unnecessary.

In this treasure room, there are several western oil paintings and several sculptures that are not less important than the above several antique cultural relics, but Xiao Yao did not select them.

After visiting this treasure room, everyone came to the second room surrounded by Xiao Yao.

When Xiao Yao walked into this room, the first thing Xiao Yao saw was a pair of large four-piece cabinets with high-relief red sandalwood.

This piece of furniture is so eye-catching, it occupies half of the wall, and it is placed directly opposite the door, and you can see it by looking up after entering the door.

This is a pair of magnificent red sandalwood high-relief kowloon passionflower pattern top box type big four-piece cabinets. It is a standard top box closet type large square corner four-piece cabinet, made of selected red sandalwood materials, and the top and back panels of the cabinet are covered with gray. .

The shape is flat and stable, well-proportioned, and majestic. The cabinet and the top box are made of similar materials, and the frame is connected with grid shoulders and tenon joints. The front is flat, and the side hills are raised and built, with latch rods and cabinets. Both the door panel and the side mountain panels are slotted with horizontal straps to prevent cracking and deformation.

The middle of the closet is equipped with a cage and two drawers. Install dental plates between the feet and wear copper boots on the ends of the feet. The copper surface and tag of this cabinet are quite exquisite. At first glance, it makes people feel very delicate, elegant in shape and exquisite engraved patterns. It is rich in decorative effect and has a strong contrast with the red sandalwood cabinet, which can dilute the appearance of large-scale furniture. Feeling dull.

The most eye-catching feature of this cabinet is the shoveling high reliefs of the eight cabinet doors and the cabinet chamber vertical board. The carving craftsmanship is superb, the layout is simple and orderly and rational, giving people a majestic and majestic shock on the whole.

The high-relief carving of the shovel is a unique craft of the red sandalwood in the Qing Dynasty. This is also one of the characteristics of judging whether the red sandalwood furniture is for royal use. The method is to shovel all the foundations except the pattern to make the pattern stand out and have a strong three-dimensional effect.

Compared with the "lifting" relief method of general hardwood furniture, the same pattern, "shoveling" relief requires multiple man-hours, which is too laborious, and it also tests the craftsman's skill.

The embossed floor of the palace red sandalwood furniture is as flat as a mirror, making ordinary craftsmen inaccessible, and the superb skills are simply breathtaking.

The eight door panels and the cabinet walls on both sides are shoveled in high relief with five-clawed cloud dragons, bowing their heads or looking down. Out.

But seeing the dragon head is full, the double horns are raised, the beard is flying, the body is tactfully, the scales are docile, and the dragon's claws are stretched.

Each cloud dragon pattern is independent into a chapter and echoes each other. The double dragon head of each cabinet door is slightly higher than the door frame, which is consistent with the cabinet body and a trend of anticipation. From this point, it can be proved that this is definitely the furniture used by the emperor.

In the overall view of the paired furnishings, the two cloud dragons on the gable of the lower cabinet also face each other, moving and moving in response.

In addition, besides Kowloon, the European classic "passion flower" pattern is the main carving pattern, winding up the branches with the dragon shape, which is agile and natural, and is in the same vein as the Western architectural style in the Old Summer Palace.

Passionflower ornamentation was very popular during the Qianlong dynasty. Emperor Qianlong once imperially inscribed the flower and this pattern in the summer of 1775, which shows his love.

The decoration of this cabinet is based on the theme of the dragon, which is a symbol of Chinese imperial power, and is supplemented by the gorgeous and colorful Western patterns. It can be regarded as a masterpiece of the combination of Chinese and Western civilizations.

Seeing the pair of senior cabinets, Xiao Yao smiled for the first time at the corner of his mouth.

This pair of large four-piece red sandalwood cabinets is naturally an extremely valuable cultural relic, but if the price is high, it is not enough to make Xiao Yao so happy.

The reason why he can't help but smile on his face is because it is a top-grade treasure of luck!

In Xiao Yao's divine consciousness, the rich purple luck exuding from the pair of furniture is simply the most wonderful light in the world.

Regrettably, this pair of furniture should be from the Qing Dynasty. It has been a relatively short time since then, so there are not a lot of purple gas clouds gathered, and the total amount is about one and a half of Yoshiaki Yasuda's luck.

It is a worthwhile trip to harvest a top-grade treasure of luck today.

Seeing Xiao Yao walking to the red sandalwood cabinet, Iwasaki Shinichi introduced: "My father bought this pair of red sandalwood cabinets from a French nobleman. According to that nobleman, this pair of red sandalwood cabinets was one of his participants. The ancestors of the Eight-Power Allied Forces robbed them from the Old Summer Palace. The pair of red sandalwood cabinets were placed in the emperor's bedroom at that time."

It turns out that this pair of red sandalwood cabinets are furniture placed in the emperor's palace, so it is no wonder that they can become the treasure of high-grade luck.

There are many accidents in the birth of the treasure of luck, and Xiao Yao has not figured out the theories. But one thing is certain, that is, items that can become the treasure of luck will inevitably come into contact with people who are so lucky.

The objects touched by people who are so lucky may not necessarily be the treasure of luck, but the treasure of luck will inevitably come in contact with people who are so lucky.

This pair of red sandalwood cabinets was placed in the emperor's palace, and the emperor's contact time was undoubtedly very long, which also provided the necessary conditions for the red sandalwood cabinets to become the treasure of luck.

From this point, we can also see how difficult it is for an item to become a treasure of luck.

There are too many items that emperors often touch, such as jade seals and dragon chairs, but these are only necessary conditions, not necessarily useful. On average, ten emperors can't give birth to a treasure of luck.

After appreciating it for a while, Xiao Yao said: "This large four-piece red sandalwood cabinet should be from the Qianlong period, and the exact name should be the large four-piece red sandalwood cabinet with a high-relief red sandalwood high-relief Kowloon passion lotus pattern top box in the Qing Dynasty.

This pair of red sandalwood high-relief kowloon passionflower pattern top box-style large four-piece cabinets belong to extremely high-spec furniture. The artistic style and social environment of the Qianlong period have markedly imprinted on this furniture. The carved patterns are in the same period. Relevant examples can be found on the fired official kiln porcelain and the stone carvings of royal buildings, and its artistic and historical value is beyond doubt.

The use of red sandalwood in India and Europe is mainly used for dyeing, construction, utensils, agricultural tools or handicraft carvings. Ancient Indian red sandalwood sawdust or red red sandalwood extract is dotted between the eyebrows as a Hindu identity symbol.

The history of the use of red sandalwood in China is extremely long, dating back to the Eastern Jin Dynasty or earlier, and it should be no later than the Tang Dynasty to make furniture, musical instruments or other utensils.

Ridao Zhengcangyuan contains the Luodian five-string pipa, the red sandalwood painting groove pipa, the red sandalwood gold and silver painted dial, the Luotian red sandalwood Ruan Xian, the wood painting red sandalwood chess game, and the wood painting red sandalwood chess game Shuanglu game exported from Ningbo Port to Ridao in the Tang Dynasty. , Red sandalwood gold tin handle incense burner, red sandalwood wood painting with Shi red sandalwood gold and silver picture book table.

During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, especially in the Qianlong Dynasty, the manufacture of red sandalwood furniture and utensils was very common.

In the Qing Dynasty, precious hardwoods with deep color, dense texture and fine texture were admired. Among them, red sandalwood was the first choice. At that time, many Huanghuali furniture were dyed dark in color, giving it an antique appearance.

At the same time, the realization of the upper-level preference for rich and rich artistic styles objectively depends on the excellent processing performance of red sandalwood.

Therefore, in the palace furniture of the Kang, Yong and Qian dynasties in the Qing Dynasty, red sandalwood products accounted for a large proportion, especially in the middle of the Qing Dynasty, the selection of materials was very particular, and it was often required to have the same color, no boils, no scars, no standard leather, and uniform color. Some furniture even required the same wood. It is made of materials, and the selection of materials is extremely demanding.

This pair of red sandalwood large four-piece cabinets were used by the emperor’s palace, no matter the materials or the workmanship, they are of course the most top-notch, which shows the preciousness of this pair of red sandalwood furniture. "

Seeing that Xiao Yao was so interested and his comments were very professional, Iwasaki Shinichi took the opportunity to ask, "The workmanship of red sandalwood furniture is known as red sandalwood workmanship. I am very interested in this aspect. I don't know if you understand this aspect. ?"

After harvesting a high-quality treasure of luck, Xiao Yao was very excited. "The so-called red sandalwood craftsman is a method of processing red sandalwood according to the characteristics and unique craftsmanship.

It can be divided into two forms: one without carvings and light elements, combined with the noble texture and color of the red sandalwood itself to give people a round and quiet feeling.

The other kind, especially after entering the Qing Dynasty, in order to show the wealth and luxury of the Qing Empire, used the plastic nature of red sandalwood to make fine carvings. At that time, the Royal Manufacturing Office concentrated nationally skilled craftsmen from Guang*, Su* and other places. , Produced a batch of red sandalwood carved furniture with very high artistic standards.

The high-relief shovel on the top of the large cabinet can be said to be a typical representative of the pinnacle of furniture craftsmanship during the Qianlong period.

As a high-relief shovel, the foundation is shoveling, which is extremely challenging in the red sandalwood. The shoveling must be consistent with the effort and force to achieve a mirror-like effect.

The embossing technique of this pair of cabinets is superb. The dragon pattern and the passion flower pattern are interspersed with natural roundness, rich in layers, and strong three-dimensional effect. Viewed from the side, it has a nearly round carving effect.

Besides, the materials used in this cabinet are extremely luxurious, which must be mentioned.

For example, the cabinet door materials, all the large materials are centered, and the two sides are spliced ​​with small materials. This design and workmanship are extremely rare in cabinets.

Compared with similar large red sandalwood cabinets, there is a piece of material in the top box door that reaches a width of 45 cm, which is unique in other cabinets. The selection of materials is amazing!

Except for the small parts such as the back panel and the internal shelf, the rest are also made of high-quality red sandalwood.

The old red sandalwood craftsman regarded the red sandalwood as the top grade because the red sandalwood is full of visible Venus twisted silk. The red sandalwood in this group of large cabinets is selected from the finest gold star small leaf red sandalwood aniseed, and the watercress texture produced by the cross of very small water ripples appears on a large area. Rare, extremely hard to see today. "

After listening to Xiao Yao's divergent explanations and comments, Iwasaki Shinichi really felt that he had gained a lot, and he admired Xiao Yao's extensive knowledge very much.

He also likes collecting, and he also knows some basic appreciation knowledge, but after all, he is only a collecting enthusiast, not an expert in appraisal, and his knowledge is limited. However, Xiao Yao is so young and so comprehensive and professional in antique appraisal, which shows that he must have done hard work in ordinary times.

Xiao Yao was already content to harvest a high-quality treasure of luck in this collection room. Then he picked out a set of the Tang Dynasty's "The Art of War" from the Tang Dynasty and a copy of the "Diamond Sutra" from the Northern Song Dynasty. "Manuscript. Although this copy of the Diamond Sutra is not made by a famous master, it has a high level of calligraphy, which Xiao Yao personally likes.

With the last few pieces left in the collection, Xiao Yao picked out a square plate from the Yuantihong Three Friends Garden.

The heart of this square plate is blessed, and the interior is decorated with eight pine trees, and the pavilion is built with mountains and rivers. The ancient meaning is gloomy. Lingkou and four corners are decorated with camellia, peony, pomegranate and chrysanthemum, the most common in Yuan Dynasty.

The four sides of the square plate are mainly composed of plum and bamboo, with brocade ground, ganoderma and mountain stones, so that the whole box brings out the meaning of "three friends in the cold".

The outer frame is made of a double-chicken-dragon-playing-bead pattern that is completely different from the heart of the disc as the main body on each side, and is decorated with brocade and wishful moire. The design is extremely delicate and elegant, which makes this plate rich and auspicious. The air of the king.

Such exquisite lacquerware is extremely rare. Although the price of this lacquerware is not very high, about 40 million yuan, Xiao Yao still matched it at a glance.

Lacquer carving in ancient times was quite precious, and only the court and the dignitaries could enjoy it. Volume Four of the "Scenes of the Imperial Capital" cites Yanshi lacquerware song: "There are things that sink in the famous lacquer...the red and Japanese lacquer is worth 100,000 money."

Gao Lian also mentioned in "Yan Xian Qing Appreciation Notes": "Mu Zongshi Xinan Huang Pingsha, made the red red than the orchard factory, the flowers and fruits are wonderful, the knife is round and lively and the price is three thousand words..." .

These two records are sufficient to prove how expensive ancient lacquerware was at that time. The art of lacquer carving is the first product from the Yuan Dynasty and Ming and Yongxuan Periods. This square plate is definitely one of the finest works, which is rare in the world.

After harvesting a top-grade treasure of luck, Xiao Yao’s good luck seems to have been exhausted. The three treasure rooms to be visited next only picked out some of the more precious antique cultural relics, not only did not have a second treasure of luck When it appeared, even one of the most common cultivation items was not picked out.