Chapter 1313 Getting Started
"So this is just a layer of window paper." Zhou Zhi smiled and handed the dragon's head to Zhu Qinghong, who had been itching for a long time. This was a master of antique carvings, and when he saw the real thing It will definitely inspire more inspiration: "I am a complete amateur when it comes to jade, but today I have finally gained some experience."
Exchanged the ribbon ring in Zhu Qinghong's hand to his own: "Then how can you tell if this was carved during the Qianlong period?"
In fact, this question is not that important, because the jade carving is This line of work pays attention to the "match between work and materials", that is to say, what kind of material should be matched with what kind of carving work.
If it is the craftsmanship of Qianlong's inner palace jade, then the materials used must be top-notch.
In other words, if it is top-quality Hotan seed material, in order to maximize its value, its owner will definitely find the top craftsmen to carve it, just like Zhou Zhi does now. This is called the same principle in ancient and modern times.
When the price difference between ancient jade and new jade is not much, it is meaningless to fake jade from the Ming Dynasty, because the main value of jade is at this stage, and the price cannot be determined by age. More It depends on the quality and craftsmanship of the jade.
There are only two situations where there is room for fraud and deception to make money.
Either it is to fake ancient jade from before the Song Dynasty. In this period, the requirements for jade quality were not high. You can use low-grade jade materials to make fakes, and then use acid and other methods to create clear colors, earthen flowers and other traces. Cover up jade defects.
At that time, as mentioned above, counterfeiters were eager for quick success and would inevitably expose flaws in the carving. It was enough to know the difference between the traces of ancient stone work and the traces of modern machine carving.
There is also a slightly cleverer method, which is to imitate ancient jade from the Ming Dynasty. However, this kind of counterfeiting leaves little room for counterfeiters. Generally, mid-range jade materials are used. After machine-carving, the machine-carved parts are then polished off by hand. Traces, and then by making it old and patinated, it is disguised as ancient jade to deceive people.
Such fake jades have a high success rate, and are easiest to deceive half-hearted enthusiasts. However, the cost of such fakes is not low, and the profits left to the counterfeiters are not too high. In addition, this manual counterfeiting method still requires the use of modern high-speed tools and materials, and it is difficult to achieve the same jade traces as those produced by ancient slow-speed soft materials.
Time is the appraiser’s best friend. For any kind of cultural toys, the traces left over a long period of time and the traces of forgery formed in a short period of time are one of the easiest features to identify.
Even the Chun Shui Qiu Shan ribbon ring, which was carved extremely smoothly, under the guidance of Mr. Xu, Zhou Zhi also learned to identify the handmade traces and characteristics left by Qianlong's work, and then took out one of Zhu Qinghong's Let’s compare and explain each piece of carving. Things that could not be seen to be different before have now become extremely conspicuous.
“It turns out that the identification of jade is quite simple.” After finishing the class, Zhou Zhi felt enlightened. From today on, he can add one more item to his appraisal ability.
"Training is not easy. Xiao Zhou can only be regarded as a beginner. If you want to become a master, it is not something ordinary people can do." Xu Zhiman smiled and reminded Zhou Zhi not to be too proud: "Ancient jade collectors are often called warriors. , Why is this so? It’s because it’s very difficult to date.”
“The style and craftsmanship of jade carvings during the Warring States Period and those during the Han Dynasty actually changed. There hasn't been much change. The skills of collecting are all in the subtleties, so many experts can't pass this level and can only refer to them as 'Warring Han jade carvings'."
"Yes, I'm here. The Forbidden City has seen many jades with such markings." Zhou Zhijing also recalled it after being reminded by Mr. Xu: "This shows that those jades have stumped even the experts from the Forbidden City! ”
“Yes, because many of the jades in the Forbidden City come from the library. Without unearthed information, we can only judge from the jade material, craftsmanship, and style. It is very difficult to accurately confirm its age. A big cycle can be broken out. "Xu Zhimian said: "The same situation is much better in the National Museum, because many of the cultural relics in the National Museum are spontaneous. With the excavated discoveries and archaeological information, it is easy to determine the age of the unearthed jade." "Today is really worth it." Zhou Zhi was very happy: "It seems that the knowledge of collection does not necessarily have to be in the National Museum of the Forbidden City. I can learn it. The old man at the jade carving factory is no better than the old experts I know.”
"General Manager Xu has also participated in many national-level tasks." Yao Chong introduced: "The reproduction of cultural relics is also one of the main tasks of our factory. Some of the exhibits at the National Expo are actually replicas. Do you know this little Zhou? "
"Really?" This Zhou Zhi really doesn't know. Many of the calligraphy and painting works and bronzes in the Palace Museum that are on display during non-important exhibition periods are actually imitations. Of course he knows this.
However, it is a bit incredible that jade articles have replicas and can be deceived in museums.
“Can Qinse be made the same?” Zhou Zhi asked.
“You are thinking too much.” Xu Zhimian smiled and said: “The museum’s exhibits cannot be used by visitors. All they have to do is paint the colors on them and they will look exactly the same!”
"That's true." Zhou Zhi laughed at the idea of taking advantage of others. Museum fraud and money fraud are two different concepts. The former only requires visual deception, while the latter is exactly the same in all aspects. That is a world of difference. .
After the course, Zhou Zhi gained a deeper understanding of the jade carving industry. The people in the jade carving factory also have a better understanding of Zhou Zhi's character and taste. After everyone becomes familiar with him, it becomes easier to communicate on the following topics.
“The quality of this batch of jade materials sent by Mr. Zhou is something our jade carving factory has rarely received in recent years.” Yao Chong said: “So after receiving the materials, the factory attached great importance to it. In addition to the teachers named by Mr. Zhou, Mr. Lu and Mr. Zhang, we also invited Chief Engineer Xu to specifically check the plan. "
"Mr. Zhou has communicated with us before, which is to make use of the shell characteristics of this batch of materials, try to use clever carvings and pretty colors, try to use low-relief techniques, and take maximum care of the jade materials, especially Of course we welcome this last point!"
This made everyone here happy.
There is a common practice in the jade carving industry that the cost of materials and wages are linked. Generally, there is a proportional relationship between the cost of materials and wages.
This ratio generally has a certain relationship with the size and weight of the object.
Take the current Hetian jade seed material as an example. The general labor cost for jade seeds under 500 grams is about the same as the price of jade. The processing cost for jade materials worth 1,000 yuan is also 1,000 yuan.
If sold within the system, the item will be sold for about 2,500 yuan. If sold externally at a store outside Gongmei or the jade carving factory, the price can be anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 yuan.
(End of this chapter)