Chapter 0642 – The Lion’s Mouth

“Is it as simple as you say?”

Zhuang Rui rolled his eyes, although he had the idea of opening a museum before, but it was just a thought, in Zhuang Rui’s opinion, to be able to open a private museum, it was definitely an amazing thing.

In fact, Zhuang Rui from last year’s eyes to produce mutation to now, but only more than a year’s time, at some point in time his consciousness, but also stayed in the perspective of an ordinary person, or Zhuang Rui desire to live the life of an ordinary person, he did not realize that he can now change a lot of people and things.

And this kind of change, also is really happening, from the auto body shop in Pengcheng to the 4S store, and then from the mastiff garden to Beijing’s “Xuan Rui Zhai” as well as Xinjiang Jade Mine and Myanmar Jadeite Mine, Zhuang Rui in the unknowing, identity status has been quietly changing.

Like buying an airplane this kind of thing, money can be done, but open the museum, is the need for approval and a variety of formalities, Zhuang Rui worried about, mainly their own personal connections are not enough, the collection is too little.

Subconsciously, Zhuang Rui some don’t want to go to Ouyang family to help, said he is hypocritical or, hypocrite also, this kind of pull relationship begging for things, Zhuang Rui heart is really a little bit of resistance.

If it’s something that can be settled with money, Zhuang Rui is definitely not willing to go begging.

“Hey, I say buddy, what’s there to worry about, no turn around I received these antique swords abroad, all mailed back to the country to give you to support the facade.”

Huangfu cloud heard Zhuang Rui’s scruples, can not help but smile, he has long had to start an antique sword museum of the mind, not enough of their own financial resources, has not been put into action, and now such a good opportunity, Huangfu cloud is not fully encourage Zhuang Rui to organize ah?

“Really as simple as you say?” Zhuang Rui a little not quite dare to believe.

“How fresh ah? Nothing I’m teasing you about?”

Huangfu Yun on Zhuang Rui’s attitude is very puzzled, this buddy how to make the industry so big ah? In the country as long as there is a relationship, you are the museum opened to the Forbidden City Museum opposite, that no one cares about you, of course, no one will go to the estimate.

“Mr. Zhuang, is there something wrong?”

Bas Gimme saw Zhuang Rui kept on speaking Chinese with Huangfu Yun, and from time to time, his face showed a hesitant look, also thought it was Zhuang Rui’s attitude towards this aspect of their own cloth, and said at that moment, “Mr. Zhuang, for the Frey family’s donations, I can be responsible for telling you that the exchange is not a big problem, and now you only need to put forward a few other pieces of the Pavilion’s collection, I will be able to can submit it to the board of directors for deliberation.”

To be honest, the Jimei Museum owns tens of thousands of Chinese artifacts, and it’s not really a big problem to have a hundred or eighty pieces less, but the Jimei Museum doesn’t have a single piece of Picasso’s works, so it’s very easy to tell which one is the lesser of the two.

And all the items in Jimi Museum are not belong to the private, can not enter the circulation market transactions, Bass Jimi also has no right to engage in those corrupt things, can make the museum more famous works of art, is what he is pursuing.

With these considerations above, so Bas Ghimei was willing to make some concessions within his ability to keep the Picasso’s works in the Ghimei Museum.

After hearing Bass’s words, Huangfu Yun made a cough, and while covering his mouth with his hand, his fingers gestured on his neck, Zhuang Rui saw it really well, and doubly understood in his heart that this buddy was letting himself go under the knife to slaughter people!

“Cough cough …… Mr. Bass, since you are so sincere, then I raised, your museum is now on display that piece of Han Dynasty “White Jade Tiger” jade carving, I personally like it very much, in addition to that a “Elephant Zun” bronze, and “Amitabha Western Pure Land Changing Figure”, “Pratyekabuddhist Bodhisattva riding an elephant”, “Walking Monk Statue” three Buddhist statues, and the “Amitabha Western Pure Land Change”. Portrait of a Walking Monk’ three Buddhist paintings, can all be included in this transaction.”

After getting Huangfu Yun’s hint, Zhuang Rui simply opened his mouth wide, originally said three objects, now opened his mouth and put forward five pieces, and also all of them are fine pieces from the collection of Jimi Museum, listening to the old Bass sitting opposite him, grew his mouth in surprise.

“Mr. Zhuang …… Zhuang, your country has a saying, called the lion opened his big mouth, you …… you this condition, I’m afraid I can not do.”

Bass stuttered in English to describe the Chinese idiom of the lion’s big mouth, he was really scared by the price offered by Zhuang Rui.

The white jade tiger and those few Sui and Tang Dynasty Buddhist portraits are fine, but the bronze in foreign markets have always been very good, the transaction price is also high.

Zhuang Rui proposed that “Elephant Zun” bronze, 96 centimeters long, 64 centimeters high, 45 centimeters wide, the length and width of the back opening of 26 and 21 centimeters, the outside of the abdomen and the head engraved with animal face pattern, ears, nose, feet decorated with scale pattern, should belong to the late Yin and Shang Dynasty or early Western Zhou Dynasty works.

This bronze and the British Museum in London and Tokyo Nezu Museum of Art collection “double goat Zun” is roughly the same, although it is the top cover has been lost and the trunk of the elephant is largely destroyed, but it is still known in the world in the animal-type Zun the largest one.

In the spring of 2001, the United States, New York, Christie’s Chinese porcelain and work of ancient crafts auction specialties, the introduction of five Chinese bronzes, a Chinese Shang Dynasty bronze “Petri dish Tianquan” earthenware jar body, to 9.24 million U.S. dollars to hit the highest price of Oriental works of art auctions (the previous chapter a little error, that piece of porcelain belongs to the second highest price).

Sotheby’s New York from about 2000 on the Chinese bronze auction record, the spring of 2003 auction, No. 6 late Shang dynasty bronze tripod, and the fall of 2004 auction of the 117th bronze jia were sold at $1.457 million.

From the above two auctions, can be seen in the international market popularity of Chinese bronzes, Zhuang Rui that five Picasso’s sketches, although it is a curiosity, but the price of up to 12 million euros or so, Jimi Museum, if you really agree to Zhuang Rui’s terms of exchange, the loss of eating a little big.

Because this piece of bronze in the market value, almost and Picasso’s work is similar, in addition to with more than twenty pieces of Frey family donations and white jade tiger and Sui and Tang dynasty ancient paintings, this condition mentioned …… a little bit too bullying.

So Bass after hearing Zhuang Rui words, face showed a difficult look, he is not sure he can persuade the board of directors to pass this transaction, after all, the exchange of items, at least in the current market price to be similar to some, the museum is also a specialized evaluation staff, the price difference is too much, it is difficult to pass the board of directors resolution.

“Mr. Bass, instead of these artworks in your museum being placed here without any value, it is better to exchange them for something with corresponding value, so that it can also increase the popularity of your museum!”

Zhuang Rui also knew that the conditions he raised were a bit excessive, and hastened to add fuel to the fire, “If your museum can agree to all of my conditions above, I can consider giving your museum three more of Mr. Picasso’s sketches free of charge, and in this way, your museum can open a special cabinet belonging to the Picasso masters, so how do you think about it? ”

Zhuang Rui had a total of thirty-two Picasso’s sketches, after showing six to Ezkena, there were still twenty-six left, even if he gave eight more to the Guimet Museum, wouldn’t it still be sixteen left!

Zhuang Rui is also a little mind, although I do not know how to appreciate the world’s famous paintings, but how to keep a few ah! So that buddies later go out and say they are a world-class collector, more or less also a little bit of confidence ah!

After the love, but also tempted to profit, Zhuang Rui threw out three Picasso sketches, immediately let Bass confidence shaken, in recent years there are few Picasso’s works, if you miss the village, it is very difficult to come across Zhuang Rui this store.

Bass’s attention was attracted by the other three Picasso works that Zhuang Rui said, but Huangfu Yun heard it really well next to him and couldn’t help rolling his eyes to Zhuang Rui.

This buddy can be really shameless, will other people’s collection of fine arts copied a bottom, in turn also said that their own things are gratuitous gift, shameless ah shameless.

“Mr. Zhuang, I can’t respond to your request right now, but I can submit it to the board of directors for deliberation, in addition, I hope to photograph those eight Picasso masterpieces you mentioned, so that I can also better convince the members of the board of directors to agree to this exchange.”

Bas Gimei finally made up his mind after considering for a full ten minutes or so, in fact, in his mind, the object that was really difficult to choose between, even if that bronze, as for the Frey family’s donations, they had all been in storage for fifty or sixty years, and he didn’t put much stock in them.

“There’s absolutely no problem with taking pictures or anything, Mr. Bass, I hope that the board of directors of your museum, will make the most sensible choice, you know, Mr. Picasso’s works, are already very rare now.”

Zhuang Rui said a blind word with his eyes open, and added a little psychological pressure to the old Bass.

In fact, Picasso’s surviving works were definitely more than any one could imagine, it was just that all the people who collected Picasso’s works were not willing to take them out.

“I will seriously consider your suggestion, Mr. Zhuang, and I hope that in the near future, your museum will be able to have these artworks of ours, and likewise, the Guimet Museum will be able to have Mr. Picasso’s works.”

Old Bass stood up and shook Zhuang Rui’s hand very formally, the secretary who had been sitting next to him, also organized the record of Zhuang Rui’s conversation with him, and Bass let Zhuang Rui confirm it before sending the few people out of the office.

“Grandma, my museum?”

After Zhuang Rui walked out of the curator’s office, he cursed in his heart in a very speechless manner, his museum still only exists in his imagination now!

But Jimi museum if really agree to this cultural relics exchange, even if Zhuang Rui no museum, also can be carried out, the big deal is to find a domestic museum to sign an agreement just, I believe that the country are willing to see the return of national treasures this scene.