Chapter 629 Under the Bronze Mirror
While reflecting, the mirror also has the effect of focusing light. The beam shining on the wall is obviously much brighter than the light bulb on the head, but in that beam of light, Zhuang Rui seems to see something faintly.
Zhuang Rui calmed down, took a few steps closer to the wall, and then picked up the mirror. The mirror was slightly on the side, and a beam of light was reflected on the wall. This time, Zhuang Rui's hand did not shake. He really saw a trace of influence from the beam of light that was only the size of a palm.
In that beam of light, Zhuang Rui saw a pattern of a Bodhisattva's lotus sitting statue, with a high-headed Guanyin Bodhisattva's belt floating, sitting calmly on a lotus base, holding a clean bottle, with a kind face, slightly closed eyes, and a compassionate expression of compassion.
This pattern is not very clear. Just when Zhuang Rui was in agitated mood and his hand shook a little, the picture of Guan Shiyin disappeared.
"How can this...this be possible?"
Zhuang Rui exclaimed in his heart that he had never heard of it. Can the pattern be displayed in the bronze mirror? When I looked at the mirror just now, I didn't find anything?
Zhuang Rui immediately turned the bronze mirror back and carefully observed the mirror, only to find that the mirror was extremely smooth, and there was no Guanyin pattern, but... Zhuang Rui could also confirm that the image on the wall was definitely not his illusion.
After taking a deep breath, Zhuang Rui calmed down and looked at the mirror. As the aura penetrated into the bronze mirror, a strange feeling rose in Zhuang Rui's heart.
At the moment when Reiki entered the mirror, Zhuang Rui felt that the bronze mirror seemed to be alive. The original subtle grinding texture on the mirror was infinitely enlarged in Zhuang Rui's eyes.
Zhuang Rui found that these textures are slightly different in depth. It should be these differences that make the image of Guanyin Bodhisattva appear under the reflection of the light. Although he has never heard of this matter, Zhuang Rui feels that he should have found a great treasure.
Copper mirror is a mirror made of copper in ancient times, also known as a bronze mirror. In ancient times, people used water to reflect the surface. After the invention of copperware, it was filled with water in a copper basin to reflect the shadow.
In pre-Qin works such as Shang Shu, Mandarin and Zhuangzi, the ancients mentioned "in view of the water". In the ancient language, the word "g" means "pot", so it can be said that the basin (g" containing water is the earliest mirror.
With the emergence of alloy technology, since the Yin and Shang era, there has been a history of using copper and tin or silver lead to make copper mirrors. Copper mirrors are generally made into round or square, with inscriptions on the back, accompanied by buttons to wear, and the front is polished with lead and tin to make the surface clear.
The bronze mirrors of Shang, Western Zhou and Spring and Autumn have been found sporadically in Chinese archaeology, and at the beginning of the Warring States Period, the output has increased greatly.
In the Han Dynasty, due to the large demand of daily life and the rapid economic prosperity after the middle of the Western Han Dynasty, the production of copper mirrors produced a qualitative leap. The copper mirrors were made with excellent technology, thick texture, and rich and diverse mirror back inscriptions and patterns. After two peaks of development in the Tang and Song Dynasties.
continued until the Ming and Qing Dynasties. With the birth of modern glass, the bronze mirror gradually faded out of the historical stage.
In ancient times, bronze mirrors were closely related to people's daily life. They were indispensable living utensils and exquisite handicrafts. Nowadays, the bronze mirrors collected in some large museums are well-made, beautiful in shape, gorgeous patterns and rich inscriptions. It is a treasure in China's ancient cultural heritage.
The Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period was a period of maturity and great development in the history of ancient Chinese bronze mirrors. It was a transitional stage from childishness to maturity in ancient China. It was also an important period for the casting center of copper mirrors, which began to migrate from north to south.
During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the bronze mirror had a rapid and all-round development on the basis of three generations (summer, Shang and Zhou). Both the casting process of copper mirrors and the number of castings are much higher than before.
In the Qin and Han Dynasties, the number of bronze mirrors unearthed was the largest and was widely used. The number of bronze mirrors was not only more than that of the Warring States Period, but also made great progress in production forms and artistic expression methods.
As for the bronze mirror of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, there are new developments compared with the previous generation. The composition of tin is increased in the copper alloy, and it looks silvery in the texture of the copper mirror, which is both beautiful and applicable.
In the Song, Jin and Yuan Dynasties, there was no major breakthrough in the production process of copper mirrors. Most of them continued the style of the Han and Tang Dynasties, but there were some more historical stories, bronze mirrors and so on.
In recent years, the number of people collecting copper mirrors has also been increasing, and the price has been rising year by year. It is normal for a good-quality Han and Tang Dynasty bronze mirror to have a sky-high price of millions, while some inherited mirrors are more than 10 million.
If anyone can find the bronze mirror in the story of the broken mirror, I'm afraid the value of the story alone is immeasurable.
According to the development history of the bronze mirror, Zhuang Rui can almost conclude that this bronze mirror should definitely be in the Sui and Tang Dynasties. The reason is very simple. Buddhism was introduced into China from the end of the Han Dynasty and the Five Dynasties, and it was developed in the Sui and Tang Dynasties.
If you can show the Buddha statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva with such a painstaking grinding lines with a bronze mirror, I'm afraid that no one will spend so much effort except for the Sui and Tang Dynasties, when Buddhism prevailed.
It's just that Zhuang Rui doesn't know why this precious bronze mirror has been exiled abroad. And for so many years, no mystery has been found in it.
"Come abroad to play with the treasures of your own country..."
Zhuang Rui laughed at himself, although in terms of the preservation of cultural relics, those Dunhuang scriptures and bronze mirrors in front of him could not be better preserved abroad, because in the ten years of turmoil in China, I don't know how many cultural relics have turned into ashes.
But psychologically, Zhuang Rui would rather the treasures collected in foreign museums be burned out than see the development of his country's civilization from other countries, because it is a silent sarcasm, which reminds him of the shame China suffered a hundred years ago.
"What's the price of this metal iron sheet?"
Zhuang Rui shook his head. After retracting his thoughts, he took the bronze mirror and praised Renault. He was bullying Renault for not understanding this thing and deliberately said that the bronze mirror was a metal iron sheet.
"Oh, no, sir, this is a mirror in your country. In our country, there are also mirrors made of metal like this. The price is very expensive, and it is definitely not an iron sheet..."
Zhuang Rui didn't expect Renault to know something about this thing, but after listening to his words, he didn't know much. He said, "Just think of it's a mirror, but can you see yourself from the mirror?"
Zhuang Rui's words made Renault a little confused. Although the bronze mirror is smooth, due to oxidation, the mirror becomes a little blurred. At most, it can only take a personal picture, which is indeed very different from the metal mirrors made in the 16th and 17th centuries abroad.
To be honest, foreign definitions of works of art, in addition to calligraphy and painting, pay great attention to practical value, and the back of this bronze mirror is rusty, and the mirror is blurred. First, it has no artistic appreciation value, second, it has no practical value, and it is dropped in the room. Renault really can't find a word to
"Mr. Renault, if you regard it as a treasure, you'd better keep it for yourself..."
When Zhuang Rui saw Renault standing there, he was hesitant, so he threw the bronze mirror in his hand on the table. Of course, it was not the mirror facing up, because Zhuang Rui was afraid of destroying the grinding pattern of the Guanyin image.
"2000 euros, if you can pay this price, I will sell it to you..."
Renault gritted his teeth and said a higher price in his heart.
"2000 euros?"
Zhuang Rui frowned slightly, 2,000 euros, which is about 20,000 RMB. Don't talk about the mystery in the mirror, in terms of the appearance of this bronze mirror, it is a little expensive.
"Well, if you can tell me the origin of this bronze mirror, the price of 2,000 euros, I think I can still accept it..."
Zhuang Rui asked this question, he wanted to know the source of this bronze mirror and see if he could judge the source of this bronze mirror.
Because this bronze mirror is so rare, it can grind the mirror into a Guanyin image when it can't be seen with the naked eye, which is definitely not something that ordinary people can do.
After listening to Zhuang Rui's words, Renault shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, sir, this is my grandfather's collection and has always been here, but I seem to have heard him say that this stone statue is with the bronze mirror..."
Zhuang Rui was a little disappointed. According to Renault, this is most likely something that the robbers robbed from a temple in China in those years, because the monk also had to use a mirror. Maybe this thing was made by the monks in the temple who found a skilled craftsman.
It's just that the Buddha's head is really broken. Zhuang Rui can't find any clues from it, and there are so many Chinese temples that he can't find out which temple the Buddha's head came from.
Shaking his head helplessly, Zhuang Rui took out 2,000 euros from his handbag, handed it to Renault, and then carefully put the bronze mirror in the bag, and wrapped several layers of paper towels on the mirror for fear that the mirror would be damaged.
After the transaction was completed, Renault also learned Zhuang Rui's name. He saw Zhuang Rui constantly looked at the Buddha's head and said, "Mr. Zhuang, don't you want this bronze mirror?"
"Oh, no, I'm not interested in that, but can I take some photos? Maybe I can introduce it to my friends who like it..."
The aura in the Buddha's head is already very thin. In addition, there is no clue from the appearance. It is almost a broken stone. Zhuang Rui doesn't like this thing.
"Mr. Renault, don't you have any works of art such as oil paintings?"
After coming for a long time, the items received were still in his own country. Zhuang Rui was a little reluctant.