Chapter 0617 – Lion Button Chapter (II)
Zhuang Rui entered the old man Gu’s house, the old man was making tea at his own pace, when he saw Zhuang Rui come in, he nodded his head, pointed to the chair across the room, and said: ”Sit down! What is that brat looking for you for? Don’t help if you can’t.”
Gu Tianfeng is aware of Zhuang Rui’s background, in this part of China, do not dare to say that there is nothing that can not be done, but the Ouyang family can not do things, I am afraid that there are not many, Gu Tianfeng is afraid that his son raised any excessive requirements, so that Zhuang Rui difficult to do.
Of course, the son or their own pro, the old man is also words have meaning, can not help don’t help, can help things well, that is not much to say.
“Gu Shi Bo, nothing big, Yun’s business is off-season this time, let me introduce some work, just the fourth brother’s side of the project, let him go to pick up some, this is a serious business.”
Zhuang Rui saw that the old man was quite serious, and quickly spoke out to explain, this is not a big deal at all, Ouyang Jun’s work for who is not dry ah! Might as well be cheaper for his own people.
“Well, follow the rules, don’t break the rules.”
Once Gu Tianfeng heard that it was this matter, he didn’t say anything more, pulled open the drawer of the table he was sitting on, and took out a palm-sized rosewood-colored box from it, and pushed it in front of Zhuang Rui.
“Take a look! This is that piece of Great Red Robe Chicken Bloodstone material carved out, the old man’s handiwork hasn’t been put down yet.”
Old man Gu seemed to be very satisfied with this work, and there was no lack of a bit of self-satisfaction between his words.
“Hehehe, that’s of course, senior uncle is the famous South Wu and North Gu.”
After giving a small pat on the back, Zhuang Rui took the box on the table that looked like rosewood in his hands.
“Huh? Senior, this thing is quite old, isn’t it?”
Zhuang Rui picked up the box, hand feel quite heavy, with aura look, not to say, really rosewood box, and clear and delicate lines, or the best small-leaf rosewood, value is not expensive.
Don’t look at this box is not big, but the age is at least before the Republic of China, from the point of view of antiques, is an old object, Zhuang Rui estimated should be in seven or eight million or so.
Ancient people made after calligraphy and painting line seal, is a very careful thing, is also a very important step, so for the seal requirements and custody, is also very concerned about, this rosewood box, with organic Juan buttons, it is clear that is in order to place the seal and special.
“Well, encountered in the early years, placed in my place for decades, now I can’t use it, so I’ll give it to you!”
When the old man spoke, it was obvious that there was a trace of reluctance and despondency, Zhuang Rui could see that this rosewood box was definitely the old man’s beloved thing.
Thinking of this, Zhuang Rui shook his head and said, “Elder, I can’t accept this object, you’d better keep it for yourself!”
“Bullshit, what do I keep it for? I’ve said that I’ve retired, my old man won’t issue another certificate of authentication, why do I still need this thing?”
After hearing Zhuang Rui’s words, the old man’s voice suddenly raised, but then sighed and said, “Your kid has a spirituality for jade, and good luck, just too old, too late to get started, otherwise, I’ll be sure to pass all of this Northern School of Carving’s craft to you.”
This learning carving craft, itself to have a deep calligraphy and painting skills, and then to exercise the dexterity of the hands from childhood, Zhuang Rui bones have long grown up, is to do more than can only seal carving a seal to play around, and then want to learn to carve, that is almost impossible.
Although Gu Tianfeng also has many disciples in his life, but the decline of the northern school of carving has become a foregone conclusion, and there is nothing in his disciples that can pick a big figure, so the old man will have this feeling.
“Hey, uncle, on your body, at least thirty to fifty years of life, what’s the hurry! When I give birth to my son, let him come to learn the northern school of carving from you, at that time this rosewood box, I will pass it on to him on your behalf.”
Zhuang Rui saw the old man mood is a little low, and quickly spoke out to the topic to diverge, and Zhuang Rui really have this idea, small children to learn seal carving, one can cultivate the ability to do it, the second will cultivate its sentiment, let a person become calm, Zhuang Rui, if you give birth to a son, will be given to the old man to teach.
“Hehe, brat, don’t tease me, open it and take a look.”
Gu Tianfeng was amused by Zhuang Rui’s words, just at this time, Gu Yun also walked in with his son, as the saying goes, it’s the intergenerational family, the old master saw his grandson, a smile immediately appeared on his face.
Zhuang Rui smiled, opened the box in his hand, and immediately his attention was attracted to the rectangular piece of chicken bloodstone seal.
This seal is no longer the original shape, become four square, at its top, with the round carving technique, carved a lion playing ball shape, as the seal’s knob, and the center of the hollow, you can wear ribbons tied to the waist, is a typical northern school of carving, the knife is extremely fine.
After picking up the seal from the box on the silk cushion, into the cold hand, slightly and feel some warmth, between the corners of the seal, touch the slippery comfort, does not appear to be abrupt, let Zhuang Rui feel very comfortable.
Observe carefully in the hands of the seal, the texture of pure condensation soft, chicken blood splash, such as splash of ink, level, blood color bright red sharp, as if to leap out of the general, a closer look, Zhuang Rui’s mind and soul are one of the shock.
“Xiao Zhuang, this piece of Big Red Robe material is excellent, too much carving, on the contrary, will lose its nature, so I only made a lion button for you, so as to show its original color.”
Being teasing his grandson’s old man Gu explained to Zhuang Rui, then added: “This seal can also be called chicken blood lion button chapter, I also refer to the ‘Chinese seal and stone atlas’, Mr. He Jingguo’s old collection of a side of the seal’s shape, you see whether you are satisfied?”
As the saying goes, a heavy sword without a sharp edge, a big coincidence is not a work of art, to this level of craftsmanship of the ancient master, the simpler the work, the more you can see the master’s superb craftsmanship, this seal seems simple, but between the knife and the brush, all reveal the majesty of the atmosphere, delicate and exquisite.
“Oh, satisfied, satisfied ……”
Zhuang Rui said the truth, as the old master said, this seal on the natural chicken blood, too much carving to join the artificial factors, will only destroy the overall feeling of the whole seal, now just right.
“Xiao Yun, go get a book and a piece of white paper.”
Gu Tianfeng instructed his son to get something, but he wanted Zhuang Rui to take a look at the seal engraving surface, which was the most important for the seal.
“Senior, this seal clay of yours isn’t simple either!”
After Gu Yun brought the paper, Zhuang Rui opened the seal clay box placed next to the seal, immediately a light fragrance into the nostrils, gazing at it, this seal clay is red but not manic, calm and elegant, delicate and heavy, it can definitely be called a top quality.
Seal clay for the importance of the seal, that is naturally self-evident, can directly affect the seal art expressed by the effect of good seal clay, Inscription in the painting and calligraphy on the color is beautiful and calm, three-dimensional sense, the longer the time, the more colorful.
The poor texture of the sealing clay, Inscription out only after the color looks gray or shallow, some oil leaching, so that the seal text blurred.
People who are good at using sealing clay choose sealing clay, just like those who are good at writing choose pen and ink, the quality of which will directly affect the value of calligraphy and painting and its artistic effect.
Some friends of the impression of the seal mud, is the kind of stationery store sold, in fact, this understanding is wrong.
Stationery store sold mud, the quality of coarse, heavy oil, color floating, can not express the original face of the seal, so it can not be called mud, and can only be referred to as print color.
As long as it is a little bit of common sense, people will not use it as a bit of seal inscriptions or calligraphy and painting stamping.
“Oh, this is a few years ago in Fujian Zhangzhou Li Hua Zhai made seal mud, they make seal mud formula, in the country are very famous, is an old friend gave me, a good seal must be matched with a good seal mud, cheaper you kid.”
Although Gu Tianfeng said lightly, but Zhuang Rui know, on such a small box of seal mud, is definitely worth a lot of money, especially specifically to give away this kind of, I’m afraid that the price to be in the thousands of dollars about 50 grams.
Even the old man this value of 70,000 to 80,000 rosewood box are received, Zhuang Rui will not be on the pretentious, at the same time, each of the hands out of the two fingers holding the seal, balanced in the seal mud on the dip, and then run his hand down the pad in the book on the white paper, pressed down hard, feel the force to make even after this only to raise his hand.
“Zhuang Rui Qing appreciate”, four color beautiful bright calm and elegant seal script, jumped on the paper, font line traces of ancient and pale, to Zhuang Rui a kind of gold casting a subtle feeling of jade, the so-called “square inches, the weather of a thousand,” said, it is not so.
Zhuang Rui can see, this inscription seal carving, the old man is spent a lot of effort, he used the punch knife and cut knife two knife, punch knife traveling fast, a stream, when the seal carving a breath, showing a kind of majestic momentum.
And in the fine details, the old man is combined with the cutting knife technique, with a short range of broken knife continuous cutting, one step at a time, the performance of the Thucydides condensed, thick and steady, the combination of these two knife techniques, showing the highest level of seal carving craft.
Based on this hand, Zhuang Rui can conclude, I am afraid that their “Xuan Rui Zhai” hired master Ge, in this kind of seal carving skills, than the ancient master is still inferior.
Seal of the yin and yang text is also very delicate, different text, represents a different role, like name name seal, book seal, and sign seal, also known as “flower seal” is carved flowers write the name of the sign of the seal, so that people are not easy to imitate, in ancient times as a credentials to get a letter of record.
In addition, there are also seals of the lodge, the ancients often for their own living room, study, and often made seals, master Ge initially seal carving of the “Xuan Rui Zhai seal” is a seal of the lodge.
The four words “Zhuang Rui Qing Appreciation”, needless to ask, certainly indicates that this seal, is a collection of appreciation seal.
This kind of seal is mostly used for inscribing paintings and cultural relics, like the painting of Lang Shining which Zhuang Rui appraised to the master, it is also this kind of seal, and the inscriptions on it are: XX appraisal, which is more or less the same as the meaning of “Zhuang Rui Qing Reward”.