Chapter Sixteen: Tang Lin Ze
Professor Lang didn't think much of the other two fragments, but since he couldn't be certain, he just said "can't tell" and left it at that. Since the owner of the porcelain insisted, he also wanted to use an instrument to test them out.
Compared with ordinary C14 and other instruments, neutron activation analysis can determine the micro-quantity of specific elements, and even obtain information such as the place of origin. It is called the fingerprint of ceramics, and its age is not a problem at all.
He sprang up at once, his whole body quivering with rage, looking even more like a reinforced version of Luo Xiaoshan.
Three people walked together to the small building of the Archaeology Department, where several graduate students were still at work.
Professor Lang is a department professor. Without saying much, he randomly pointed at two people and let them help with the work. He himself held a teacup, panting while drinking tea to rest.
What was supposed to be a complicated procedure turned out to be simple with him taking charge personally.
Because the professor didn't reveal any information, the graduate students in front of the instrument became increasingly tense. Whether it was the ceramic with cracks all over or the two lines of four-character seal script "Yongzheng Nian Zhi" on the bottom of the bottle, they all showed that the object was extraordinary. When he started to operate the instrument, he was too nervous and not fast enough. In the end, he even measured all the fragments twice.
Fortunately, Professor Lang was a slow-tempered person, and after waiting for two cups of tea, he wasn't anxious at all. Chen Yi and Luo Xiaoshan were sitting like pins and needles, seeing the report made their eyes wide with surprise.
"Shall we take a look together?" Professor Lang, who was flipping through the report, chuckled and thought back to when he first started out, wasn't it just like this?
"Let's take a look, let's take a look." Chen Yi and Luo Xiaoshan replied in unison, one on the left and one on the right, crowding around the professor.
The entire report is actually quite monotonous, apart from the various letter and number codes, it's just a judgment of the era. In one case, 300 years outside, a single fragment marked as 70 years raises suspicions.
Professor Lang was also astonished and said: "The two big and one small ceramic pieces prove that it is true. The young man has good luck."
Forget it, he himself entered a state of contemplation.
Chen Yi excitedly high-fived Luo Xiaoshan, thinking to himself: With 800,000 in hand, going to the Sacred Aeon Kingdom will be a breeze. The Perception Scroll will definitely come in handy.
Luo Xiaoshan was even more excited, his hands trembling as he repeatedly asked: "You guessed it too accurately, where did you buy this?"
He also wants to buy one.
Two people were chatting and laughing, but then they saw Professor Lang, who was instructing two graduate students to bring him a large pile of books, which he began to flip through on his own.
Luo Xiaoshan suddenly jumped up and said: "Professor Luo, can this thing be worth 800,000?"
In his view, cultural heritage obviously has meaning only after it is digitized.
Professor Lang shook his head, nodded, and then shook his head again.
Chen Yi was also anxious, staring straight ahead with both eyes, thinking to himself: What if that pawnshop owner cheated me? If the three pieces are all worthless, I'll be in trouble.
Professor Lang was busy searching for books, but a graduate student next to him saw the way out and whispered: "Don't worry, I think it's probably good news."
"Why?"
Nunu said, "Professor Lang is looking up information. If the incense burner wasn't valuable, he wouldn't bother with this."
He also knew the shape of the incense burner, Chen Yi couldn't help but look at him and said: "I'm Chen Yi, this is Luo Xiaoshan. Are you Professor Lang's graduate student?"
"Not his graduate student, ran away long ago. My name is Lu Fan." He said with a wink.
With Professor Lang's weight, the speed of turning his neck is not necessarily as fast as that of young people running, Chen Yi and Luo Xiaoshan both laughed.
Just as things were getting lively, a loud "slap" was heard from beside him, and Professor Lang heavily closed the book in his hand.
"Has it been heard by others?"
Chen Yi was suspicious for a moment, and then Professor Lang came like a strong wind under the mountain, shouting loudly: "You two kids have made a big profit."
"Eighty points?" Luo Xiaoshan jumped up like a reciting scripture.
"8 million? Hmm." Professor Lang stretched out three fingers: "At least 30 million."
3 million!
The others were all stunned.
Chen Yi couldn't believe it. Had the Perception Scroll made a wrong judgment? Were all four fragments real?
Thinking again, it's not right. Obviously, one of the fragments was fired 70 years ago. On the other hand, if the three fragments are genuine, they would be worth 3 million, so the pawnshop owner wouldn't intentionally downplay the number, would he?
In an instant, he thought of countless possibilities, his facial expression changing, unable to discern joy or anger.
Looking at Professor Lang, he said with a hint of pride: "I originally thought that this porcelain was restored in recent years, but unexpectedly, the fake one among them turned out to be from 70 years ago. So I thought, 70 years ago, that was during the Republic of China era, with the technology back then, who would have had the skill to restore such porcelain? And it took 70 years for someone to discover its true nature. As a result, it really made me think."
"What does this fake have to do with 3 million?" Luo Xiaoshan still remembered some key points.
Professor Lang snorted and said, "Don't underestimate the Republic of China's replicas. People like Wang Daqian back then, although they imitated ancient works, were never considered to be fakes, but rather exquisite art pieces. For example, Zhang Daqian's middle-period copies of famous calligraphies and paintings sometimes sell for higher prices than the originals..."
Luo Xiaoshan didn't take any lesson and asked: "Was this porcelain made by Zhang Daqian?"
Chen Yi couldn't help it and knocked him, saying: "Zhang Daqian is a painter."
"The baozi shop also sells mantou." Luo Xiaoshan insisted on being stubborn.
Professor Lang let out a long sigh and looked at Luo Xiaoshan's plump face with regret, saying: "Fortunately, the treasure is not in your hands."
He said to Chen Yi, "This fake should be made by Tang Linze. He is a legendary figure in the Republic of China's collecting circle, who has created many Song and Yuan antiques. Not only could people not tell them apart back then, but now they are even sold as real ones. His technique for making ancient paper is said to be 'unparalleled in the world', and his skills in making porcelain are also exceptional. I checked his correspondence records after he went to the Palace Museum, and it's confirmed that this porcelain was indeed made by Tang An."
The old man said with a sigh, "It's a pity it's not a calligraphy or painting. Otherwise, the price could be even higher. With Tong Liming's reputation, if we really put it up for auction, the price would definitely be higher than the original. Especially since this porcelain is so well-made, 30 years ago, the glaze color on this piece would have been indistinguishable from the real thing."
Chen Yi and Pangzi were stunned. Some people's emotions, fake and fake, are so magnificent compared to the old ancestors. Nowadays, China's counterfeiters still need to accumulate and work hard!
Outside the window, the moon is bright and the stars are sparse. Professor Lang, somewhat tired, waved his hand and said: "You take good care of these things, if you want to keep them for yourself, that's fine too. If one day you don't want them anymore, come find me again, don't casually send them to auction houses or the like, it would be a waste of good things."
Chen Yi's artistic temperament is still at the stage of salting meat, far from being refined. Without hesitation, he asked: "In your opinion, how much should this thing be sold for?"
"Three million is still not expensive." Professor Lang's chubby hand touched the bottle again.
He smiled awkwardly and said, "That's still a bother for you, let's see who's interested, 30 million will be his."
Professor Lang's eyes lit up as he listened, excitedly waving his hand and laughing: "What a bother. The imperial porcelain from the Yongzheng era, Tang Linze's semi-fake vase, I can introduce it to anyone and they'll have to thank me. Unfortunately, I'm just a poor teacher, so should I sell it today?"
"Sell." Chen Yi gritted his teeth. If there was no more income, he would be penniless in two weeks.
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