Happy Tycoon

Too cheap, really too cheap.

Although Yang Jing knew that in the early 1980s, almost all kinds of old things with wide open doors were very cheap, but he still had no expectations for the one-hundred-fifty purple clay teapots.

This is the work of Master Zhu Kexin. Although his works are not as valuable as those of Master Gu Jingzhou in later generations, any one you take out is a top-notch purple clay pot worth hundreds of thousands or even millions.

Master Zhu Kexin is eleven years older than Master Gu Jingzhou. He entered school at the age of seven, worshiped Mr. Wang Yisheng, a master of Zisha pots, at the age of fourteen, apprenticed for seven years, and started working independently at the age of twenty. A unique talent in the craft of pot making.

At the age of 21, Master Zhu Kexin married Shundi, a local woman named Shundi from Zhoumu Village, Fudong Township, that is, the kind old lady I saw outside just now, but Yang Jing knew that regardless of the old lady's current body Very healthy, but in fact, next year, in 1983, this kind old lady will pass away.

In 1932, when Master Zhu was 28 years old, his work Yunlong Ding, which was 2.5 feet high, was exhibited at the Chicago Exposition in the United States, won the Special Excellence Award, and was promoted to a technician. The work Bamboo Festival Ding designed in the same year was ordered by Soong Ching Ling when it was exhibited in Shanghai Penglai Market (now Yuyuan Shopping Mall), and it is now in the former residence of Soong Ching Ling in Shanghai.

Later, when the Anti-Japanese War broke out, the purple sand teapot industry plummeted, and the school where Master Zhu worked was forced to suspend classes. Master Zhu could only go home to make blanks. During those difficult days, Master Zhu mainly made Yuhualong teapots. . Just now his old man also mentioned to Yang Jing the miserable life of those days.

During those difficult days, Master Zhu also designed a new style for Ji Sanyou, the owner of Zisha. According to the legendary Chen Mingyuan's Shuchai Sanyou Pot, the shape of the pot was simplified, and it was designed into the Sanyou Pot of pine, bamboo and plum. Beautiful and appealing to both refined and popular tastes, it has become a boutique design among purple clay teapots.

In 1945, after the victory of the Eight-Year Anti-Japanese War, the school resumed and was renamed Suzhou Provincial Ceramics Vocational School. Master Zhu was hired as a craft teacher, and the school was closed in 1950. During this period, the design of Yunlong Pot won a very high reputation. The Yunlong Pot that Yang Jing saw just now was designed and produced by Master Zhu at that time.

After liberation, Master Zhu designed and produced the Yuan Song Zhu Plum Pot, which is also the Yuan Sanyou Pot that later generations are talked about by purple sand lovers. The master's work Squirrel Grape Pot participated in the first National Arts and Crafts Exhibition held on the Meridian Gate Tower of the Forbidden City in Yanjing. After the exhibition, the pot was collected by Professor Gaozhuang of CAFA.

During the period from liberation to modern times, Master Zhu not only began to carefully teach his apprentices, but also created many exquisite designs. For example, he once instructed his apprentice Mr. Xu Chengquan to design Laughing Baby Pot and Cloud Jade Pot, which became widely popular. A popular long-term production variety; in 1963, it designed the classic purple clay teapot shapes such as Longevity Pot, Gaofeng Coffee Set, Welcome Wine Set, Golden Bell Pot, and Trophy Pot; in 1964, it was designed by Master Zhu. The Jade Belt Pot was put into production, and the Baggage Pot made by Chen Mingyuan can be imitated.

Later, Master Zhu designed Wan Mei Pot, Wan Lian Pot, Wan Bamboo Pot, Half Ladle Pot, Kexin Pear Pot, Different Color Persimmon Pot, Red Leaf Flat Bamboo Ancient Pot Pot, Cai Butterfly Pot, and designed high-end products Spring Pot, Evergreen Pot, Spring Color Pot, Jin Song Pot, Emerald Bamboo Pot, Gaoying Pot, and created a This new style of pot shape with multiple decorations is welcomed by Chinese and foreign people, and it is regarded as a classic by purple sand lovers.

In 1982, that is, this year, the 78-year-old master Zhu recuperated at home due to old age and frailty. From his apprenticeship to his return home to recuperate, he dedicated 62 years to Zisha teapots. It is worthy of being called one of the seven elders of purple sand by later generations.

His old man's works are definitely the best among the purple clay teapots. Some fine works of later generations have also been auctioned, and the prices have exceeded seven figures.

For example, in December 2012, at the auction of Chinese contemporary high-end handicrafts - Zisha pots, a bamboo drum pot made by Master Zhu himself was sold at a high price of 6.2875 million; a Sanyou pot made by him , sold for a high price of 4.25 million at an auction in 2010

The auction price of the purple clay teapots made by Master Zhu himself is indeed not as good as the works of Gu Jingzhou and Chen Mingyuan, but the works of his old man are definitely rare and top-quality purple clay teapots.

And these purple sand teapots, which can be worth several million in later generations, are now only one hundred and fifty.

Seeing Yang Jing in a daze, the old man thought the price was too high, so he said a little embarrassedly: Xiao Yang, if you think it's expensive, I can lower the price for you.

These words woke Yang Jing up from his daze. He quickly waved his hands and said, Master Zhu, you misunderstood me. I don't think the price is too high. On the contrary, I think the price is too cheap. You may not know, like you If this kind of purple clay teapot made by the master is sold in the UK, a single pot can be sold for at least 1,000 pounds, so the price you gave is too low.

It is naturally impossible for the purple clay teapot made by Master Zhu to appear on the counter of the British store. Yang Jing's saying that is just an excuse.

Yang Jing, who came back after more than 30 years, naturally knows that these real masters have not enjoyed any blessings in this life, whether it is Master Zhu Kexin in front of him or Master Gu Jingzhou, Master Ren Ganting, and Master Wu Yungen who have never met before. They were born in the late Qing Dynasty The masters in the early Republic of China, when they were learning art, it was the era of warlords and the society was turbulent, and when they were in their prime, they caught up with a series of wars. Although they have also caught up with New China, everyone knows what the country was like when the country was first established.

Like the seven masters in the Seven Old Masters of Zisha, that is, Master Jiang Rong lived into the new century and really enjoyed a good life. Master Gu Jingzhou only lived until the 1990s, but at least he caught up with the beginning of China's prosperity, while Master Zhu Kexin, who died in 1986, did not even enjoy the good life brought about by several years of reform.

These real masters have really suffered a lot in their lives, so that their works only sold for more than a hundred at this time, but there is no way. In the early 1980s, the works of these masters were only one hundred and eighty-one One, for this, many people still think it is expensive.

But Yang Jing is not from this era, and the price is too cheap for him. The most important thing is that although Yang Jing plays antiques, he is not a person without limits. Picking up leaks is regarded as the supreme behavior, but the bottom line in Yang Jing's heart is that we can pick up leaks without a limit for foreigners, but for these very respectable masters, we can't have a bottom line.

You can say that Yang Jing is stupid, or you can say that he is brain-dead and doesn't pick up on mistakes, that would be hell! However, Yang Jing is unwilling to break through his own limit in certain things, this is his principle of life.

Grandpa has said to Yang Jing more than once that in the antique business, all you need is a thick face and a dark heart, but you also have to follow your heart. Because you are not thick-skinned and not black-hearted, you can't pick up leaks, but in the same way, even if you pick up leaks, there must be a bottom line, that is to say, what leaks should be picked up, and what leaks should not be picked up. Yang Jing has always put this teaching in the most important position in his heart.

What grandpa said is not only a standard in this industry, Yang Jing believes that it is also a principle that grandpa taught him how to behave.

It was like the Chinese fellow Huang Benchu ​​he met in Alfie Market in London just after he got the Holy Ring. If it hadn't been for Huang Benchu's initiative to lower the price for the sake of fellow villagers when he first sold him the inside-painted snuff bottle, or if he hadn't given him a pen wash for nothing, how could Yang Jing point out the extra money to him? Did he miss the duanyan?

That is actually the principle of Yang Jing's life - if you treat me well, I will treat you well.

If Huang Benchu ​​had treated Yang Jing badly at that time, but treated everyone else the same way, and didn't take the initiative to lower the price, and didn't give himself a brush for nothing, Yang Jing wouldn't be bothered to point out the Duan inkstone for him, but just picked it up and left.

But that day Yang Jing could really feel that Lao Huang really regarded himself as a fellow villager, so how could he, Yang Jing, do such limitless things? Besides, he had just sold those three Picasso sketches at the time, and he was not short of money at all, so he did that.

Similarly, in Yang Jing's eyes, the works of these masters are a kind of inheritance of Chinese civilization, and this price is actually an insult to their works. Isn't the inheritance of Chinese purple sand culture worth nothing? ten bucks?

Therefore, Yang Jing's good man disease has committed again, and he intends to give this true master a little compensation.

Yang Jing also knew that even if he bought all the pots that Master Zhu allowed him to buy at a price of one million yuan, there would definitely be a huge profit and collection value when he took them back, but don't say anything now. One million, even if you give Master Zhu a price of 10,000 yuan, would he dare to ask for it?

Taking a step back, even if Master Zhu accepts this price, do you really think it is for his benefit to give Master Zhu such a high price in this era? No, that was actually hurting him!

In this era when the per capita monthly salary is only about 30 yuan, Yang Jing spent 10 million yuan to buy ten purple clay teapots from Master Zhu. How do you ask Master Zhu to deal with the money? In this era, 10 million is enough money for the national security department to mobilize.

Master Zhu and the old couple are so old, how can they stand up to those people's torture? And I came here as an overseas Chinese. This identity may be able to fool Master Zhu, but it will definitely not stand the careful investigation of the relevant state departments!

Therefore, no matter which aspect is considered, it is absolutely not advisable to give Master Zhu a high price.

But in the same way, if you buy a purple clay teapot according to the price given by Master Zhu, you will be too sorry for the master's craftsmanship.

So after Yang Jing said that, he thought about it again and said very seriously: Master Zhu, the price you gave me is too low. It is an insult to me, so I firmly cannot accept this price. There should be a price worthy of their price for such an exquisite purple sand pot. I think it is more appropriate to buy a pot at a price of 3,000 yuan. You What do you say, Master Zhu?