Collect interesting things.
I like collecting books the most. Sometimes I also see all kinds of small objects, some of which are antique and exquisite, which makes people unable to put down, and I can't help buying them. But after that, it is often a new imitation, so the more you look at it, the more flawed it is, the less eye-catching it is, and it is given away. For example, I once saw a small rattle made of white copper on the stall: full of craftsmanship, a round copper rod slightly thicker than a cigarette, two small drums, two ropes tied to each of the drum, shaking and making a sound, the same as on the stage and comic strips. Several people gathered with interest. I looked at it for a while, afraid of missing it. I asked the price and bought it immediately, but I didn't even return the price. After that, let my friends in the industry take a look and see a basin of cold water: this is an authentic imitation. At first, I didn't think so, but the same thing kept appearing on the stall, and the price was getting lower and lower. In the end, the low price made people suspect that even the material money was not enough. There have been several such things, and I seldom touch these things.
But there are exceptions, and sometimes you can encounter a rare thing. Although there are not many such opportunities, there are many once or twice a year, which is a omission. If we met two ends in three days, won't it have been sent long ago?
One of the ivory cigarette butts
That was several years ago. One Sunday morning, I browsed the stalls in the cultural market, passed by without eye, and carefully looked at those who were interested. Suddenly, I saw an ivory cigarette holder in some miscellaneous parts: this is an ivory product with years. The end of the cigarette is a little burnt with smoke, and there are some thin lines. This is a term "laughing" in the industry, which is a characteristic of a certain period of years. The biggest feature of this cigarette holder is that it is larger than usual, with a thick end as thick as a thumb, and nearly a long one. It is very interesting in your hand, like a tycoon on the beach in the 1930s. I don't smoke. I don't need this thing. But I think friends who smoke will definitely like it very much. So I made an inquiry and made a counter-offer. Add another 30% of the transaction according to the quotation of the stall owner. I showed it to a few friends, and they all like it very much. I like its style, with one thing in hand and a kind of boss's pride. Especially for people in the calligraphy and painting industry, they appreciate it even more. It is said that you are useless. Give it to me.
When I was about to give it away, I was playing and saw that there were vague words on it. I wiped it with a cloth. It was indeed handwriting, but it was covered by smoke and fire. Dipped in the powder cleaner, and then wiped it with a decontamination cloth, and the words gradually appeared clearly. There were two lines, two words in each line: "red water" and "to the left". I don't understand. I can't explain why I asked my friends for advice. Some people say that Chishui is a place name or the user's hometown. Some say that the left is the orientation, or it may be some kind of memorial-
One day, a friend who has a collection of calligraphy and paintings called me and told me that there was a source. Many of the original inscriptions and paintings written by Kang Sheng were "to the left". His pen name is "Lu Chishui", which is said to correspond to "Qi Baishi". According to this, it is inferred that this may be an item used by Kangsheng. This ivory cigarette holder has become my collection.
The Second Iron Pipe Prince
One weekend, my friend asked me to go to the neighboring city of Pingdu. There is a monument of Zheng Wengong of Northern Wei and Daze Mountain grapes. This is worth seeing, but we are not looking at this, but at the local cultural market. I drove early in the morning and arrived early in the morning. The cultural market is elegant. A large area is full of two-story buildings, and the first floor is paved. The shopkeeper lives and lives on it. We looked at the stalls first, but we saw that they were full of bronze and porcelain, which were imitations, just like everywhere. In front of the stall, there were several old books, most of which were medical books of the Republic of China. When I put the book back, my eyes lit up, with a pocket watch, a thin and round shape, a baked orchid case, black pan orchid, the color of a small pistol in World War II. There are two rings of yellow copper hoops on the side. The hour mark on the surface is a very handsome italic Arabic numer. The slender hour hand and minute hand are set on the axis in the center of the watch, and the second hand is under the dial, with a small circular scale. The shape of the whole watch is simple, exquisite and handsome, which is really likable. Inquiry. The owner's quotation is not low. And it was repeatedly said that the old man in the village brought it back from abroad many years ago and has been using it and is reluctant to sell it. This kind of story has been heard a lot on the stall, and no one will take it to heart. I don't know much about the watch. Put it down and go away. I went around the market, and there was nothing to see. But I can't let go of the little pocket watch. I suddenly remembered that a friend was playing with watches, so I found a quiet place and called him to ask for advice. Then he pretended to walk back casually. Pick up the watch to bargain. The stall owner is really the one who gritted his teeth and insisted on saying the same price. Deal according to the price.
I went around the market and went to another house to have a look. There was really nothing to buy. Come back in the evening. A few days later, I made an appointment with two knowledgeable friends to have a look. They looked at the appearance and opened the back cover. After reading it carefully, they said that your watch is called the "Prince of Iron Pipe" and is a commemorative table for the victory of a World War. The two yellow hoops outside the watch are made of 18k gold. It is made in Switzerland. Congratulations, I bought this watch. The rural areas around Qingdao exported labor to Europe during World War I, which was brought back by laborers in those years. It is rare in China.
Because this watch is not accurate, I have asked a professional to repair it, and the watch repairer also appreciates the exquisite design of this watch. The opinion is that if it can't be repaired, it's better not to fix it. Keep it as a souvenir.
Three Legendary Rhinoceros Cup
In the counties around us, some people go to villages to buy various antique cultural relics, which is called "Laxiang" in their words. People in this industry must first be familiar with human feelings and geography, so that they can go deep into the household, and have a natural affinity, which can speak with old, young, women and children. Otherwise, who can show you the bottom of the box? In addition, he can endure hardships and work hard. It's simple to say, but there is a big gap between good and bad. Some people can make some rare things from time to time, and some people do it again. After years of "pulling the township", these people have gradually become experts in some aspects. Among them, there is a little L, long, thin and clever, and practical. He often comes to me to show me what he has newly received.
Once, he came and brought a short and thick cuticle cup. The upper mouth was thick, the lower mouth was thin, irregularly round, black, and the texture was very fine. He said that this was collected from a village farmer's house. It was an ancestral rhinoceros cup. The price was not expensive. If I wanted it, I could give it to it cheaply. The horn cup is a good thing. This is the first time I've seen it. I looked at this black thing that was like electric wood and rubber, which was really nothing. Another thought, now high-tech new materials, what can be imitated, ancient porcelain and ivory can be imitated, not to mention this rare rhinoceros horn? It is unreliable to collect from farmers. Some vendors put fake goods in remote villages first, and then take customers to see the goods in a serious way. This thing can't be asked. I don't think Xiao L is going to lie to me, but I'm afraid that he will be fooled.
Later, Xiao L took the rhinoceros horn cup to a metropolis and sold it for 35,000 yuan, which was called two terms, and the price was calculated at a lower unit price. According to the other party, this is an Asian rhinoceros horn, which is cheaper than the African rhinoceros horn. I said that Asian horns should be more expensive than African horns, just like old ivory. Little L meditate for a moment and said, "This seems to be the reason. Anyway, I made money. Don't think about that." This is the mentality of businessmen.
After a long time, I heard that he received 90 yuan. Little L made a fortune. But such an opportunity is rare in most people's lives.
The four lost ivory Buddha
It may also be located on the coast, and the market economy is relatively developed. Many middle- and youth calligraphy and painting practitioners are freelancers. Some of them quit their public positions, and some of them seek their own careers after graduation. Some of them opened decoration design companies, some opened book galleries, and some sold calligraphy and paintings. It seems that everything is doing well. There are many people with houses and cars. Work is what you like, and it can solve the worries of food and clothing. You must be in a good mood, so you can create emotions and produce good works.
They sometimes have group activities, enterprises or units, invite guests, banquets and wait for a few days, each person leaves a few calligraphy and paintings, and the host sends a red envelope, commonly known as the "pen meeting".
Sometimes it's like an actor walking around, going somewhere, organized with the help of local friends, painting and selling on the spot. The latter method is simple and more market-oriented. It is increasingly adopted. Differences also appear. Some people may be very popular, while others are less interested.
I know a L, who is a popular figure who is engaged in this kind of "walking acupuncture point". He draws well, is easy-going, and often goes from south to north. His method is also relatively flexible. In addition to cash transactions, he can also exchange cultural relics and antiques. In this way, his collection of ceramics and Buddha statues is quite considerable. Whenever there is a new collection, he invites three or five friends to watch the reviews.
Once, he came back from other places and told us about the painting scene in a different place. Someone was holding an ivory Buddha slightly larger than a walnut and wanted to exchange it for a painting, even if it was a smaller fighting party. He saw that the ivory Buddha was full of circles of cracks and tree-like rings. He thought it was broken, so he didn't change it. As soon as I heard it, I immediately told him that it was ivory products. As he said, I have also seen it. It is an old thing of at least 300 years old. According to its description, this is very likely to be a tooth carving Buddha statue of the Ming Dynasty, which is very rare. Hearing this, he immediately called his friends from other places and asked him to help find it back. Can this be recovered? It's a pity to lose it!!
Five Collections
The collection is not limited to gold and jade antiques. People's lives are diverse and their hobbies are different. There are many stories that I have heard and seen the collection:
We have a collection of Laoshan greenstone, which is a green stone in the sea off the coast of Qingdao, also known as undersea jade, which is very popular. Due to the gradual scarcity of resources, the price is gradually rising, and it costs thousands of yuan.
Qingdao was designated as a German concession more than 100 years ago, and the planning, design and construction of the old urban area are German. Later, the urban area was renovated one after another, and some people collected old house plates, old bricks and tiles, and old sewage manhole covers (local people called "Guli" covers, which is a German transliteration).
Qingdao is by the sea, and some people collect the steering wheel on the ship. I have seen a row of steering wheels as soon as they enter the door-
Here is a special collection: Laoshan stick.
There are some woody plants growing on Laoshan Mountain, which are called "Mountain Jing" or "Yellow Jing". Some climbers cut a cane to climb the mountain. There are people selling this kind of stick at the tourist spots by the mountain road. This kind of stick grows on strange rocks, and some of them make wild vines become curved branches. The shape is strange, full of wild interest, and is very popular with tourists. Someone collected this Laoshan stick.
Next, I quote a short article from an enthusiast, which is an introduction to Laoshan stick:
Most people who visit Laoshan want to get a Laoshan stick, because it is one of the famous products of Laoshan, and it is quite famous in the walking stick. The value of Laoshan stick lies not only in its application as a crutch, but more importantly, its unique artistic value. A good Laoshan stick should have the characteristics of quality, color and shape, which is not a good product.
Let's talk about the quality first. Laoshan sticks should be slim, tough and smooth. A good stick, with a beautiful appearance, about a thick thumb, and no matter how thick it is, it will be stupid and has no aura. The wood is fine, the stick is tough, the curvature can be straightened, and the gravity pressure is continuous. Extremely smooth. With such a material, it has the basic conditions of Laoshan stick.
Let's talk about color. Laoshan sticks come in two colors, jujube red and light yellow. The whole body with skin is jujube red, mixed with white spots (scars left by cutting branches), and light yellow without skin. The skin of Laoshan stick is very thin. After drying, it is tightly combined with the wood and cannot be peeled off. The surface is as smooth as bamboo, and the color is purple-red. The peeled Laoshan stick is slightly yellow and looks warm, warm and comfortable, but not as elegant as leather. The white one, even if it is not a fake, looks young and unstable, and its value is much worse.
Quality and color are the main conditions of Laoshan stick, but compared with the shape, it is only like the human body and appearance. The shape is the soul of Laoshan stick and the location of the aura. The shape is reflected in the root, that is, the grip part of the walking stick. The root of the Laoshan stick, first of all, the main root should be bent to make a handle. At the same time, the secondary root is sorted out to form an animal image with the main root, such as dragon, phoenix, crane, eagle, horse, deer, monkey, sheep, etc. The more similar, the more natural and strange the better, this is, which is the most important. The root shape is wonderful, but it cannot be held. There is a proper bend near the root, which can be held, which is also a rare treasure. A Laoshan stick in hand makes people feel full of charm, like a small poem, which is very interesting from beginning to end. This is the preciousness of Laoshan sticks.
Good Laoshan sticks are not easy to obtain, the roots are good, and the fertile soil cannot grow on the flat ground. You have to look for them on the stone and in the cracks of the stone. It's not easy to dig out its roots completely. If you have time, you can't use picks. You have to use levers and even chisel stones with ziers. Therefore, even the mountain people who have dealt with Laoshan all year round can't pick a few in their lives. The treasure of things comes from wonder, and Laoshan sticks are like this.
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