Chapter Sixteen: "Hourglass"

  Shi Dabin made in-depth studies on the formulation of purple sand pottery mud, shaping techniques, design and engraving. He was skilled at using various types of clay or mixing sandy soil to create a "coarse but refined" texture. He established a high-difficulty technical system that is still used today in the purple sand industry, using mud slices and inlaying to shape objects out of thin air.

  His works are not many, according to incomplete statistics, including the purple sand pots seen in his writings, there are only a dozen or so, scattered in various museums or private collections, so antique collectors and purple sand pot enthusiasts all regard "Shi Hu" as a model.

  Due to the great reputation of "Shi Hu", not only after Shi Daibin's death, but also when he was still alive, there were many counterfeits. It is said that "Shi Hu is sold in the market, and often counterfeit products are not genuine". Therefore, it can be said that getting a real Shi Daibin product is a very difficult thing.

  This purple sand pot is a small pot, also known as "a handle pot". Its shape and the one made by Song Jun used earlier are basically the same, both being a handle sand hat pot.

  This teapot is a warm, chestnut color with light-colored fine sand speckled on its surface. The glaze is a clear yellow and the grains of sand are visible beneath it. These yellow specks are commonly known as " Osmanthus flower sand". This teapot uses traditional sand-decorating techniques, mixing selected fine sand into the clay mixture to create an effect where the "Osmanthus flower sand" appears and disappears on the surface of the teapot like scattered flower petals.

  Its processing ratio has reached a very high level of purple sand material, and the texture and overall shape coordination formed by adjusting the sand also show the superb craftsmanship.

  The top is covered with a gourd-shaped lid, the lid surface is high and convex, with an oval button on the lid. The body of the pot is larger, spherical in shape, narrowing from the abdomen to the foot, and narrowing upwards to the shoulder.

  The final inscription is a regular script "Shi Dabing zhi" carved with a bamboo knife, with the cyclical characters signed at the end. The knife strokes are deep and powerful, with more bones than flesh.

  The overall shape of this pot is not to be called ancient and simple, strong and elegant, but can be described in four words as "coarse but not charming", "simple and elegant", " rough and ancient" and "simple and delicate". This pot has both the "Da Bian" brand and the dry branch, and its production is extremely fine and neat. It is a rare treasure that is hard to come by, and it can be said that it is precious and valuable.

  "The Hourglass" is all the more precious due to its rarity, and at the same time, it also makes it much harder for people to distinguish between genuine and fake ones. This time, Chu Chen was able to observe it up close, which can be said to be a rare opportunity, allowing him to have a standard in today's antique market filled with numerous counterfeit products.

  After carefully admiring this "time pot", Chu Chen let out a sigh of relief at the same time, and also developed a fondness for this pot. Such a majestic yet delicate purple sand pot, no wonder Uncle Fu was reluctant to part with it, if it were himself, he would be the same.

  Chu Chen put the pot in a brocade box, with an envious tone and said: "This pot is really too exquisite, Master Song you are truly lucky."

  Because he was about to get this "hourglass", Song Jun was also delighted, thanking Zhu Dafu, and also said to Chu Chenyan: "Thanks to you."

  Zhu Dafu gently stroked the pot, and said with a sigh: "To be honest, I'm really reluctant to part with it, but thinking about my age, and there's no suitable successor among the younger generation, sooner or later I'll have to find a good home for my collection, so this time I'll just follow Song Shifu's wishes."

  Chu Chen hastily said: "Uncle Fu, you're only 72, how can you say you're old? Besides, don't you still have Xin Jie?"

  "Relax, I was just reminiscing about yesterday's trip. But as for your sister Xīn, don't hold out hope, she may like antiques, but what she values most is the economic value inside them. To be honest, this is also a sorrow of our line of work."

  "Although there are more people who like to collect recently, most of them are looking at the economic benefits inside. This is not to mention that without money, our collection cannot go on. However, many people do not fully understand the collected items. How can we pass on the cultural heritage of our ancestors in this way?"

  These words made the two men fall into deep thought. Money is good, but too much money becomes a curse. The more benefits there are, the more evil spirits they attract, and as a result, the artistic and cultural value of antiques in people's minds decreases greatly.

  Art and culture are often priceless, as they are our spiritual sustenance and a heritage. Money has a certain value, but if it controls art and culture, it not only destroys the legacy of our ancestors, but also ruins the future of human civilization.

  So, the relationship between antiques and money is like the relationship between life and money. Your life can't be separated from money, but your life shouldn't be controlled by money either. Similarly, antiques can't be separated from money, but if you only evaluate antiques based on their monetary value, then you'll lose sight of the original value they're supposed to represent.

  "As people get older, they talk more. We just need to do what we should do and that's enough. Now, time is not early, let's hurry up and sign the transfer agreement!" Zhu Daifu took out the four copies of the transfer agreement he had prepared earlier and smiled at the two of them.

  Chu Chen took his copy of the agreement and glanced at it briefly. With five years of experience in the antique business, he was quite familiar with such documents. The agreement was actually very simple, generally following a standard format, requiring only the names of both parties, the amount and item, and once both parties had no objections, they would sign their names and date it.

  In the antique business, it's customary to make a deal and sign a contract, which means the buyer has confirmed the authenticity of the item. This eliminates any reason for disputes after the sale. Another option is for the seller to provide an appraisal certificate; if the buyer later discovers that the item is fake, they can seek compensation from the seller.

  However, some appraisal certificates are also ambiguous. For example, when buying a piece of jade, the appraisal certificate proves that it is jade, but after taking it home, it turns out to be Russian jade instead of Hetian jade. Even if you go back to the seller, there's no way to reason with them.

  So, when buying antiques, you must keep your eyes open. As the saying goes, "the buyer is not as clever as the seller". For new collectors of antiques, it's best not to think about getting a good deal after autumn. Similarly, when seeing antiques with appraisal certificates, you should be extra cautious.

  Chu Chen took the pen and filled in the name of the item, amount, and then signed his name and date, which was considered a deal. Today was also lucky, as there was a witness signature on the agreement, and Song Jun happened to be present, so he could serve as the witness. Coincidentally, he also served as the witness for Song Jun's copy of the agreement.

  In fact, the witness on the agreement does have a certain effect, but it is not a decisive factor. If there are no conditions, it doesn't matter if you don't write one.

  After everyone signed the agreement, they headed to the bank. Fortunately, the bank was not far away and it only took a few minutes to get there.

  On the way, Chu Chen said to Zhu Da Fu, "Uncle Fu, why don't you just issue a check? It's so much less trouble that way, and we won't have to rush around like this."

  Zhu Dafu laughed and said, "I'm getting old, I'm not used to using checks, and my eyes are blurry with age. If I accidentally look at it wrong or write it wrong, it's a hassle. It's more convenient in the bank. Besides, we won't always encounter such large transactions like today. Usually, using cash is enough."

  After transferring the money to the bank, Chu Chen took out 50,000 yuan. Although 50,000 seems like a lot, just the rent and internet cost around 20,000, the computer costs over 10,000, and there's still money needed for restocking and buying collectibles, so 50,000 can be spent very easily. It's easy to earn money, but also easy to spend it.

  However, Chu Chen looked at the 4.5 million in his account and was still very excited. Just a few days ago, he had lost 4.2 million, but today not only did he make up for the loss, but also gained several hundred thousand more, which made him feel deeply moved.

  At this time, Song Jun looked at his watch and said: "It's also lunchtime now. Why don't I treat the two of you to a meal today?"

  Chu Chen turned around and said to them, "How can we let Master Song treat us to dinner? Today I made a small fortune, besides, I'm the landlord. This matter of treating guests, I will definitely take on myself."

  Zhu Dafu saw Song Jun still being polite, so he smiled and said: "Alright, Master Song, today we'll just rob this little rich kid Xiao Chuan. Next time when we go to Yixing, then we'll have to trouble Master Song, the landlord."

  So Song Jun had no choice but to nod in agreement, and then Chu Chen took them to a relatively high-end private restaurant. Now he has grain in his hands and is not worried in his heart, and he really has some small landlord style.

  During this time, the three people had a heated discussion about Yixing teapots and tea ceremonies. Of course, Chu Chen was still a newcomer to these two aspects, and it was mainly Zhu Daifu and Song Jun who spoke. Generally speaking, they enjoyed their meal together, and Chu Chen also learned a lot of knowledge from it, which made him more interested in the way of tea.

  Although the dishes cost over a thousand yuan, Chu Chen felt it was worth it. Not only were the dishes of good quality, but he also got to know Song Jun better. In the end, Song Jun even promised to give him a set of his newly handmade tea utensils.

  This couldn't help but make Chu Chen's eyebrows dance with joy, after all, Song Jun was a well-known master of ceramics in the local area, and getting his work wasn't just about money, it often required waiting for a long time. This made Chu Chen exclaim "How can I be so lucky!"

  After dinner, the three of them bid each other farewell. Song Jun had something to attend to at home and directly booked an afternoon train, preparing to head back. It turned out that Chu Chen still wanted to invite him to play for two days and ask him about tea ceremonies, but now he could only wait until next time to have the opportunity again.

  However, Song Jun was a busy person to begin with, and it was unknown when the two could meet again. Chu Chen's heart still had some regrets. Fortunately, communication is now well-developed, so if there are any unclear points about tea in the future, they can be discussed over the phone, but it's still not as convenient as communicating in person.